Briallen Bevin and the Clocktower Guard Book 2
by pcharmed86
Summary: Briallen's trying to be good but she cant refuse Lucan's offer to join a mysterious scavenger hunt set up by Bergamot's clocktower guard, and in this game they must outwit their rivals, decipher abstract clues, and learn how it has to do with Harry Potter
1. Bad Weather

Chapter 1: Bad Weather

**Chapter 1: Bad Weather**

It was mid-August, the time of the year when the heat can be so intense, most kids live in their swimsuits, and the adults never leave the comfort of an air conditioned building. Yet, the weather in Dustum, Virginia and the surrounding area had been unusually chilly for the past week. It was the sort of chill that better fit the month of November than August, and it had put the local residents into a sort of dull funk. They had to dig into the back of closets for their winter clothes, and some of them even had to chop wood for their fireplaces.

Then there was the fog. The fog that had arrived days ago but still hadn't lifted, and it came, endlessly, out of the east and moved slowly to the coast. It didn't help that the smoke floating out of the chimneys of nearly every house in the county merged with the fog and created a denser, more opaque mist that almost looked alive as rolled between trees and cars, and along the roads. People were staying indoors, aside from the occasional run to the supermarket or post office, while the farm animals made their beds under trees and in barns, sleeping until the cold fog lifted. The reporters on the television offered no real answers as to the cause of the strange weather, aside from a vague 'meeting of two fronts' explanation, and, to the dismay of the local residents, they didn't spend much time discussing it after the first day, leaving everyone mystified by the strange weather.

At Will and Meda Bevin's house, just off of Polk highway, fire crackled in both the living room and dining room fireplaces, and the warm, hearty smell of nacho cheese and chicken wafted through the house. In the living room, three young girls sat around the fireplace, while the eldest of them finished telling a story with dramatic flourishes of her hands. She had noticed the weather, of course, but she didn't let it bother her, nor did she think much of it while she had her family for company.

"And then, after destroying the evil witch's mutant monsters, the great king threw the evil witch off of the princess, and destroyed her! Then he carried the princess back to their castle, where she lived happily ever after… At least for a little while," Briallen Bevin told her two much younger, and very much enraptured, cousins.

"Did the king marry the princess?" asked the youngest, Holly. She was only three years old and her eyes were wide and hopeful, as she waited for Briallen to confirm her idea of a happy ending.

"Nope. The king had himself a queen back at the castle, so he couldn't marry the princess. And the princess was way too young to marry him anyway."

"Duh," said Joanna, Holly's older, and naturally wiser, sister, at five years old. "Princesses marry _princes_, not _kings_. The princess married a prince, right?"

Briallen shook her head, and bit her lip to keep from smiling. "The princess didn't marry anybody because she likes being a single princess. Princes need too much attention, and she's a very busy girl."

Joanna made a face that showed Briallen she disagreed with the story's ending. "Well, _that's_ stupid. _I_ would've married the prince. They're _always_ the most handsomest of all the boys in all the land."

"Did the king marry the queen? And did they have babies?" asked Holly, hopeful again. She hugged her baby doll close to her. Recently she had become obsessed with the idea of babies, after seeing a picture of herself as a infant (and thoroughly refusing to believe she had once been so small and helpless).

"Not yet," replied Briallen, thoughtfully. "But I think they will someday."

"You talk about them like they're real people, Briallen," said the girls' Grandma Apokni from the rocking chair near the fireplace. Apokni had been a member of Briallen's audience as well, though she knew the true story. Briallen had the greatest admiration for her grandmother, who always awed Briallen with her knowledge. Shortly after Briallen had received her invitation to Bergamot a year ago, her Apokni had called to ask, rather obscurely, what school Briallen had chosen. How her Apokni knew of witches and wizards and magic, Briallen (and her mother, who was Apokni's daughter) had no idea. But they accepted the fact the old woman somehow knew everything, and so made no effort to hide the details of Briallen's magical life from her.

"Well… maybe they are." Briallen turned and winked at the two little girls, who then giggled.

"Alright, that's enough fairytales for tonight. Dinner's ready now," announced Briallen's Aunt Oka, who was also Holly's and Joanna's mother. She stood in the doorway between the kitchen and living room and waved for them to come in. Her own children ran into the kitchen, which shared one large room with the dining area, jumping up and down and already asking if they could eat their dessert first.

Apokni rose slowly from the rocking chair and put her arm around her eldest grandchild. "Are you excited to be going back to school soon?"

"I am," said Briallen with a large smile. "I miss all my friends – Ben was the only one to visit this summer, so far – and I miss The Village, and Bergamot and… everything."

"Even after all that happened to you last year?"

Briallen absent-mindedly ran her hand under her shirt and along her stomach, where her fingers followed a long, raised scar. She knew it was pink and shiny, though she hardly ever looked at it, and that it would take years to fade but would never really disappear. She winced as flashes of teeth and a blur of green raced through her mind, and she remembered the night she got the scar. The morning after it happened, she thought she would be fine, that she was mature enough to deal with what had happened to her, but soon after she began having nightmares of the night, nightmares of werewolves. Her parents were already more than willing to have Briallen return to her Muggle school in Surry County, given all of the horrible things that had happened to Briallen during the school year, and the nightmares only convinced them further that their daughter shouldn't return to Bergamot. But Briallen had found a way to dull the memories and rid herself of the nightmares, by turning the whole experience into a fairytale, and slowly, she convinced her reluctant parents to allow her to start her second year at Bergamot Academy for the Magically Gifted.

"It was a one time thing, Apokni. Grandpa Cal thinks things will be much better this year. And more normal, I'm sure of it. I'm going to try out for Quodpot, and I'm going to be a student aid for Professor Conleth, my Elemental Magic professor," explained Briallen, shaking off the nightmarish memories of the previous school-year.

"And you're going to do better in your classes?"

"Yes, yes."

"Good… And will you promise me one thing, Briallen? Don't become too dependent on your magic when there's trouble. It won't always be able to save you. You may be a Bevin by way of your father, but you must remember that you are also of me, and our family relies on knowledge and instinct. Be cunning, be clever, and never show your fear. Showing fear when faced with danger can cost you control of the situation."

Briallen looked at her grandmother, and saw that she was very serious. She knew that her grandmother did not ask for promises often or lightly, and the nature of this specific promise had Briallen wondering whether her grandmother knew something that she did not, which was entirely likely. Sometimes Briallen got the feeling that her Apokni knew what was going to happen before anyone else. "I promise, my Apokni."

"Good. Now let's go eat."

"Yes, please," said Briallen as she let go of her grandmother and left the austerity of their conversation in the living room. She skipped into the dining room, her mood instantly improving once she saw the table set and her family already sitting. "Mm… smells good, what is it?"

"Chicken taco casserole," announced Briallen's mother, Meda, as she put a large scoop of the casserole on everybody's plate.

"Are you sure it's safe to eat the nachos you cooked in here?" asked Will Bevin, lifting a forkful of the casserole up to his nose to sniff it. With Briallen home for the summer, and her wand locked safely away in his filing cabinet, Will Bevin had opened up again and become the man he was before he learned of the wizarding world (so long as Briallen didn't mention or do anything strange). Briallen was glad things had returned to normal with her parents, and she didn't even mind having to pretend she was a Muggle – to her, it was like taking a late lunch break during the work day.

"Why wouldn't it be?" as Meda, her hands on her hips.

"Because the nachos were already cooked?"

"So cooking them further would make them inedible?" asked Meda as she sat down between her husband and daughter and raised her eyebrow. She was trying not to smile. "Watch your sass and eat the casserole, William. I promise you it's fine."

"If you say so, love," mumbled Will before he put the casserole on the fork into his mouth. He chewed, swallowed and gave his wife a wink and smile. "I suppose since I'm not dead yet…"

Apokni leaned forward towards Briallen and whispered loudly, "Isn't it disgusting watching those two lovebirds when the rest of us women don't have our own men here?"

Everybody laughed, except for Joanna and Holly who didn't really understand Apokni's joke. The family started their dinner with laughter and high-spirits, and soon the conversation turned to the topic of Joanna's very first day of school being only a week away. Oka had tears in her eyes as she spoke of how quickly her little girls were growing up. Meda nodded in agreement and patted Briallen's hand in a lovingly maternal way.

"I remember the day Briallen first started school like it was yesterday. Will wanted me to let her take the bus, but she was my baby, and so I drove her to school every day. It made things a bit easier than just shoving her on the bus, which was difficult enough to do when she started first grade."

"Or it could have been much easier if you lived in an actual city that has its own school nearby," countered Oka. "When Sam and I moved into our house in Williamsburg, there was that gorgeous little colonial for sale right across the street that you two could've bought."

"We wouldn't have been as happy," said Briallen suddenly. "I like the farm. All the open space, and all the nature, and animals… and I wouldn't have Miko if we lived in the city."

"There are stables in the city that would've housed your horse, Briallen… moving on, what were we talking about again?" mumbled Oka, actively avoiding another argument with her big sister, Meda. The two of them had had this same conversation hundreds of times it seemed, and it always ended badly.

"My first day of school," muttered Joanna sulkily. She was not looking forward to it at all, mostly because she didn't know anybody who would be going to the same school as her. "I want to go to school with Briallen!"

Meda choked slightly on the spoonful of refried beans she had just put in her mouth. "Joanna, honey, Briallen is a big kid and goes to a school for big kids. The rules at Bergamot say you have to be at least eleven years old to go there."

"About that," said Oka as she looked pointedly at her sister. She didn't know why she kept trying to pick a fight with Meda but suspected their foul moods were at least the fault of the bad weather. "I asked some of the other moms in my neighborhood about Bergamot and none of them have heard of it. Then I asked the women in my sewing group and book club as well, and out of all of them, only Becky Price had heard of Bergamot. She said her daughters go there. If this school is so prestigious then how come more people don't know about it? No offense to you or your father, Will."

"None taken. And I would think that not many people have heard of Bergamot because it's… it's an invitation-only school. They search all over the nation for those students with… certain skills, but they like to stay out of the spotlight," Will explained carefully, trying to remain vague and not offend Oka.

Will and his father were on speaking terms now, though they weren't as friendly as they had been in the past. Cal Bevin thought that if only his son were more knowledgeable of the wizarding world and its history, then he would understand the decisions Cal made and forgive him. So Cal had bought dozens of books on the history of Bergamot and the wizarding world and sent the to Will. Will read them all, soaking the knowledge up like a sponge, but he still didn't entirely forgive his father, and knowing more about magical history had only made him more anxious of the world Briallen was now a part of.

"Isn't that a bit prejudiced?"

"It _is_ a private school."

Oka laughed sharply, obviously offended and annoyed. "So when Joanna is eleven does she have a chance of attending Bergamot?"

"No," said Will Bevin at the same time that Briallen said, "Maybe." Will gave his daughter a look that told her to keep her mouth shut, and then shook his head as a warning.

Briallen brazenly ignored her father and continued, "Joanna does have a chance. So does Holly. You never know, dad… just remember what grandpa said about our family that night he visited last summer and told us about Bergamot."

"She has a point, sweetie," said Meda as she placed a soothing hand on Will's forearm. He was angry, poking his chicken with his fork, but he said nothing.

Apokni spoke up just then. "I think Joanna has an excellent chance of attending Bergamot, judging by some of the things I've seen her do." Briallen, Meda and Will stared at Apokni, who smiled knowingly, her wrinkles growing deeper. "She's my granddaughter, same as Briallen."

Briallen smiled happily, thinking about how great it would be to have more family she both liked and knew, be a part of the wizarding world with her. And then abruptly turned to her Aunt Oka, as she remembered she had mentioned a woman by the name of Price. "Did you say you know a Becky Price that has daughters that go to Bergamot?"

"Yes, do you know them?" asked Oka, curious to learn more of Briallen's mysterious prep school.

"I'm friends with them. Well, there are four Price girls, see, and I'm pretty good friends with Ashley, Mindy and sort of Kara. I don't really know Lindsay that well. Ashley is in my grade, though, so I hang out with her the most out of all of them. She's one of my best friends!" Briallen loved to talk about her friends, having never really been able to before she went to Bergamot since hadn't ever had any real friends before that time.

"Do you know much about them, then?"

"Why? Like what?"

"Just, anything, really. Becky's kind of odd – we're in the same book club and whenever it's her turn to suggest a book, she always chooses one about magic or something. The last one we read that was suggested by her was _The Witch of Blackbird Pond_."

"Oh! I had to read that for school a few years ago, it's a good book!"

"I agree. I'm just saying that_ all_ the books she chooses are along that vein."

"Maybe that's just what interests her," suggested Apokni, officially ending a conversation she knew would eventually lead to a fight. The past few nights that they had all eaten dinner together, there had been a fight, and since she, Oka, and Holly and Joanna were leaving the next day, Apokni was actively making sure they all remained friendly.

The old woman looked out the sliding door that led to the back porch, and examined the dimming sky. The fog concerned her, though she wasn't sure why; she felt its presence everywhere and could see that it infected anyone it touched with what seemed to be a lethargic, irritating, little scratch at the base of the brain, like a warning you just can't understand. And, for Apokni, not knowing exactly why this fog was different, and why it affected folks the way it did, was the most troublesome part of this strange weather.

O O O O

The next afternoon, after her relatives had all left, Briallen lay on her stomach on her bed, reading Newt Scamander's _Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them_, which was one of her favorite school books. She was very much into animals before she first started at Bergamot, and had been thrilled to learn about the hundreds of new, magical, species that existed which she had known nothing about before going to Bergamot. She had even chosen a new favorite animal when she first read Newt's book, the dragon, and in second place, ever since the detention she had to serve at the bottom of the lake her first year, Plimpys. Toby Davis, one of Briallen's best friends at Bergamot (and who just so happened to serve that particular detention at the bottom of the lake with Briallen), had teased her for her interest in the strange fish. But as she read the page on the Plimpy, for the hundredth time no less, she convinced herself it would make a great pet. On the floor next to the bed was a crumbled page, torn from the book, with a bid, bold 'W' just visible along one of the edges.

Suddenly, with a loud crack, her grandfather was standing next to her bed.

"Grandpa? Do you think I could have a pet Plimpy?" asked Briallen, not even looking up from her book, and behaving as if people appearing out of thin air was as common as sliced bread. Had her parents witnessed the same thing, they wouldn't have been so nonchalant about it, and probably would have shouted at Cal Bevin for not driving or using the front door, which is why he chose to apparate into Briallen's room.

"When you are out on your own, you can have any pet you want. So long as it's _legal_, that is," said Cal Bevin with a chuckle, taking a seat next to her. "I've just stopped by to ask if you would like to spend your last few weeks of summer in The Village with me. Their annual faire is this weekend… Also, Hayden Van Vlerah stops me every single time he sees me to ask about you." He winked at Briallen. "I think the boy fancies you."

Briallen rolled over onto her side and laughed. "I know! He won't leave me alone either! I get an owl from him almost every day; it drives dad crazy!"

"He is rather obvious about it, isn't he?"

"Grandpa, what do you think of the Van Vlerahs? Marisol says they're a weird family… and Lucan called them a bunch of hippies."

Cal Bevin looked thoughtfully at his granddaughter and chose his words carefully. "They are a bit eccentric… then again, most wizarding families are. You should remember, though, Briallen, that just because someone does something a little… differently than you, it doesn't mean they aren't worth getting to know."

"I know that, and I like Hayden well enough, and I want to get to know him better. But somebody like Lucan wouldn't though, you know? I had so many arguments with him last year about the differences are between purebloods, half-bloods and Muggle-borns – magically, I mean. I don't think there are any myself but, of course, he does. I don't get why he even bothers trying to hang out with me when we don't ever get along…"

"Maybe he likes a challenge."

Briallen looked at her grandfather, feigning offense. "What do you mean? Are you saying I'm difficult?"

"Oh, of course not…" Cal winked at his granddaughter. She had put him in difficult situations and stressed him greatly during her first year at Bergamot, but she was still his granddaughter and he loved her very much. "Now, are you wanting to stay with me?"

"I don't know… it depends on Mom and Dad. If they say yes, I'll pack my bags right away," said Briallen with a smile. Though she appreciated the vacation, she was eager to rejoin the wizarding community as soon as possible, and to start officially Quodpot training with Benjamin Beauvais, since her father wouldn't let them on their brooms every time Benjamin had come to visit. "If they say yes, can you owl Ben for me and let him know I'll be there soon? We should start practicing right away… I can't believe I haven't been on a broom for almost two months! I bet I'm worse than before."

"One of the most important things to remember when playing a sport, any sport, is to remain positive, Briallen. You'd be surprised by just how much a positive attitude can affect your game play," said Cal as he picked up a Brenda Lance doll from the floor next to Briallen. "Are you a Brenda fan? Or, what do they call themselves? Lancers and Lancettes?"

Briallen shrugged indifferently but took the doll from her grandfather's hands anyways and straightened her green-sequined dress robes and hat. "Marisol got her for my birthday last year. I tried playing with her and with my Barbies once but she kept smacking them. I like the real Brenda, kind of. Some of her music is cool."

"She's playing at the faire this weekend."

"What?! Really?!" cried Briallen, unable to contain her excitement any longer. She wasn't the biggest Brenda Lance fan but she and Marisol and her roommates spent a lot of time the year before, jumping around the dorm room or common room to Brenda's dance songs, or singing along dramatically to her ballads.

"Yes, she is. I bet if you told your parents about her concert being this weekend, and that all your friends were going, they'd be more than happy to allow you to join them for an evening of pop music," hinted Cal.

He knew Meda and Will wanted Briallen to stay the entire summer at home, but he also wanted her to spend some of the summer in The Village, not just for his own benefit, but because he knew it would be good for Briallen to see how witches and wizards lived their day to day lives, and to get her away from this strange fog. He glanced out the window and then back at Briallen, who had brought out one of her Barbie dolls to show her grandfather just much her Brenda Lance doll disliked Barbie. He was distracted though, there was something magical about this fog, something dangerous, and he didn't want her anywhere near it.

"Briallen, another owl arrived with a letter for you," Will shouted, annoyed, as he walked up the stairs. As quick as she could, Briallen hid her Brenda Lance doll (it made her dad anxious), and looked frantically around her room for a space large enough to fit her grandfather, figuring she might as well hide everything that she knew would make her father anxious. Cal watched her, amused. Before she could hide Cal, however, Will walked in, a bottle of beer in one hand and Briallen's letter in the other. Everybody froze. "Dad? When did you get here? I didn't hear you come in…"

Cal cleared his throat and clasped his hands behind his back, and in his most conservative and casual voice said, "That is because I did not enter through a door."

Will looked around his daughter's room, suspicious and slightly affronted. "I take it you don't mean you climbed through a window."

"Of course not! How ridiculous," Cal declared facetiously.

Will raised his hand, which still held his bottle of beer, and pointed a finger at his father, obviously preparing to shout at the old man. Briallen ran up to Will just then and hugged him, though, distracting him. "Thanks for bringing me my letter, Daddy!"

"What? Yeah, of course," mumbled Will as Briallen took the letter from him. "If it's from that boy, tell him to stop writing you all the damn time. I'm getting sick of seeing those owls every day, and having to clean up after them."

Briallen nodded obediently, if only to humor her father, and threw the letter carelessly on her bed.

"Speaking of Hayden, Briallen and I were discussing her plans for the remainder of her summer vacation. We thought it would be nice if she could stay with me in The Village for a short while, before classes start. This weekend there will be the annual village faire, and a very popular singer who Briallen and her friends like very much will be performing there – I'm sure she'd like to go to the concert with her friends. You and Meda are, of course, more than welcome to come along as well," explained Cal, politely.

Cal understood Will's hesitance and disregard for the wizarding world, especially after what happened to Briallen just a few months earlier. He was trying desperately, though, to make his son understand how important it was to accept the world his daughter was now a part of, and that meant learning to deal with the dangers inherent to the wizarding world. Nothing he said or did seemed to have any affect on Will, however. It only managed to make him more skeptical. And now, Cal could see that Will was going to say 'no' to his request that Briallen spend the rest of her summer break in a wizarding town.

Luckily, Briallen wanted badly to visit her grandfather. "Please, Daddy! Pretty please? There my _friends_! And they're all going to be there!"

"Why don't you play with your friends here, in Dustum?" questioned Will.

"Because I don't have any Muggle friends!" countered Briallen. She was now angry, angry at her father for not knowing she never made friends in elementary school. "They know I'm different, and think I'm weird and stuff. They tease me, and laugh at me, and won't come anywhere near me!"

Will winced, but he understood. He took a swig from his beer and, staring at the floor, nodded just barely before walking out of the room. Briallen waited until she heard her father shut the screen door and then turned to her grandfather, a big smile on her face. Cal smiled back, even though he was sad and disappointed that Will was hesitant to trust him.

Cal stood up from Briallen's bed. "I suppose I should go tell your mother, and ask for her permission as well."

"She'll say yes," said Briallen quickly, already packing her trunk. Her mother, frightened of the wizarding world as she was, knew the importance of Briallen experiencing what it meant to be a witch, and warily approved many magic-related requests. Cal guffawed, and left Briallen to finish her packing.

Briallen crouched down on her floor to retrieve her Brenda Lance doll that she had hastily shoved under her bed with her normal dolls. The doll wore a look of indignance, as well as her Christmas Holiday Barbie's red and gold frilly dress. Briallen grimaced at the gaudy outfit, found the Brenda doll's original dress robes, and threw them both on top of her bed. As Briallen fought with the doll to re-dress her in the orange dress robes, a loud crinkling sound under her foot caught her attention. She put down the doll, which instantly began removing its dress robes, and lifted her leg. It was the letter her father had brought her.

She smoothed out the parchment paper the best she could and tore the letter's seal. Briallen wasn't too eager to read the letter, assuming it was just another random missive of thoughts from Hayden, but after reading the first line she realized the letter wasn't from anyone she knew. In thin, looped writing, the letter read:

_Please do not underestimate the importance of my letter. I send this as _

_ discreetly as possible to prevent those working for the Dark Lord from _

_ detecting both it and you. Be wary of the hunt. Be wary of whom you _

_ trust with Fewter's knowledge. I am tied up in other matters at this _

_ moment and regret I cannot offer further help. I will find someone _

_ trust-worthy to send in my place. And when the time comes, you _

_ must tell him._

The letter was unsigned and without any name or address on it, nor was it addressed to a specific person. Figuring she received someone else's mail by mistake, and because none of it made any sense to her, Briallen tossed the letter in her trash can and resumed packing her trunk, happily looking forward to returning to the wizarding world.


	2. The Village, A Faire

Chapter 2: The Village, A Faire

**Chapter 2: The Village, A Faire**

"He's a flyer, that's for sure, but not just on his brooms, mention his faults and he's so immature, off he'll zoom, and off he'll pout like a little girl," sang Brenda Lance from the wizard wireless on Briallen's dainty blue desk. The poorly written song faded out, and a deep, peppy voice came on and said, "And that's 'Silly Flyer,' the latest from the saucy Brenda Lance, who will be performing tonight at The Village's annual fair! What do you think of it, Oz? Is she singing about ex-boyfriend, and famous Quidditch player, Maximus Cotterhill?"

Briallen tuned out the voices from the wireless, as the announcers began gossiping about the celebrities. She stared glumly at the clothes hung in the closet of her room at her grandfather's house in The Village, an entirely wizarding town in western Virginia. It was the start of her first full day in The Village (she had arrived yesterday afternoon but spent the time unpacking and playing games with her grandfather), and she wanted to wear something special. She was also about to meet Hayden Van Vlerah, a boy she had come to like very much, and she found herself wanting to wear something that would impress him. But nothing in her closet appealed to her; all her clothes were either boyish or looked like something a little girl would wear to a Sunday service. She'd have to ask Marisol to go shopping with her, and help her find clothes that better fit her age.

"Mrs Whibbles!" cried Briallen, not taking her eyes off of her clothes. "Mrs Whibbles!"

A petite and feminine house-elf in a buttercup dress materialized by her side. "Yes, Miss?"

"I'm meeting someone for lunch today and I don't know what to wear. What do you think?"

Mrs Whibbles looked up at the clothes in the closet and pointed to a white dress with small pink and yellow flowers printed all over it, and two pockets in the front. "I is liking this dress, Miss. It'd look very pretty on you, and this someone would think so too, I knows it."

Briallen considered this and then nodded, even though it was one of her church dresses, it was the most appropriate item in the closet. "Thanks, Mrs Whibbles. Can you give the pockets more space too, please?"

"Not any problem! I is glad to help, as always. Would you like me to do your hair pretty too, Miss?"

She looked at the house-elf, surprised, as she reached into her pockets to see how large Mrs Whibbles had made them. They were just large enough on the inside to hold her wand and a few other things. "You can do hair?"

"Course I can. I did Mrs Bevin's hair all the time."

"Alright then. I would love for you to do my hair," said Briallen as she pulled the dress out of the closet and put it on, avoiding the mirror as she did so. She would have to cover the large closet mirror later, so that she wouldn't accidentally catch a glimpse of her scar. So long as she didn't see the evidence, she forgot about her encounter with werewolves and was in a good mood. Mrs Whibbles waited for her politely, and then motioned for her to sit on the floor. "When you say Mrs Bevin, do you mean my grandpa's wife? Naomi?"

"Oh, yes. I is missing her all the time. Everyday my heart aches for the old Mrs."

"I think my grandpa feels the same way. "

The house-elf nodded with a sad smile. "Mrs Bevin was a lovely lady. Lovely. But I is glad you are here now! It is so nice to have a _lady_ in the house. So, Miss, you is going on a date with Mister Hayden? Nice boy, he is."

"I think so too. Wait – no, I'm not going on a date with him. We're just going to lunch is all. I'm sure he'd love for it to be a date, though," explained Briallen quickly. Apparently her grandfather had mentioned Hayden's infatuation with her to the house-elf, or Hayden had actually gone so far as to question the house-elf about her return. Either way, Mrs Whibbles was surprisingly well informed on their relationship.

Mrs Whibbles pulled Briallen's hair back into a ponytail and twisted it into a pretty, curly bun. "I'm sure he would. Miss will have all the boys lined up down the lane for her soon enough!"

Briallen giggled but then quickly stopped, realizing she sounded just like Marisol. "You sound just like my Apokni. She said something like that just before I came here."

"Your Apokni sounds like a very smart lady, indeed. There, all done," said Mrs. Whibbles as she patted Briallen on the shoulder. "Oh, you look so pretty, Miss!"

"Thank you very much, Mrs Whibbles. I should get going now. Tell grandpa I won't be home until later tonight, okay? Me and Hayden are going to go to Brenda Lance's concert at the fair tonight."

"I will do, Miss. Have fun!" With that, the house-elf disappeared with a pop and left Briallen alone.

She sat down at the dainty blue desk and looked herself over in the mirror above it. Part of her wished she owned some sort of make-up, not that she would know what to do with it. She shook her head and decided make-up would be too much anyway, and because she wasn't a make-up wearing sort of girl. Hayden would just have to be pleased with her as is.

Briallen clucked at herself for thinking again about how to impress Hayden, and told herself none of it was important because she didn't really want a boyfriend – did she? Shrugging the thought off, she stood up and put her wand and some money in her pockets before she left her room and, finally, her grandfather's manor.

She walked happily down Dickens Drive to Hayden's house. She loved walking down this particular street because it embodied the small town and exuded familial friendliness. On either side of her were small but cozy-looking, two-story, brick houses; they were all the same in style and material and yet each one had its own personality, whether it was because the owner had painted it a bright blue, or added polka-dotted awnings, or there were yellow lawn flamingos in the yard, or because there were toys strewn about the lawn. The street itself was lined with white walnut trees and shagbark hickory trees, which made it smell as if there was always someone barbecuing. Even better, there were no power-lines or cars in sight, though a few houses had garages and Briallen had seen cars in The Village before.

Small kids were everywhere too, either running around or riding mini-brooms that went no higher than a foot off of the ground. A little girl and boy on her left had somehow gotten a hold of a wand and were now turning their dog various shades of purple, while a couple of teenagers on her right were playing an energetic game of Exploding Snap. Dickens Drive was Briallen's most favorite street in all of The Village and deep down she hoped she would someday own a house here.

"Hi, Briallen!" shouted one of the girls playing Exploding Snap. Briallen recognized her as one of Mindy Price's friends but couldn't remember the girl's name. She still waved at the girl, though, and continued walking.

When she neared the end of the street, which the Van Vlerahs' backyard faced, she cut through the side of one house's lawn and walked to the Van Vlerahs' back porch. Normally, Hayden was waiting for her but today he wasn't there. He had sent her an owl the night before asking her to meet him at eleven at his place. She checked her watch: it was ten past.

Briallen stood at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the porch. She was unsure of what she should do since this was not a situation she was accustomed to. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and counted all nine steps. A few minutes later, Hayden was still not there. She waited just a little longer and then gave up and walked up the steps and to the back door; it was a Dutch farm-door, like on her dad's barn back home, where one could open the top half but still keep the bottom half shut. The top half of the Van Vlerahs' back-door was swung wide open and the gentle summer breeze blew around the yellow curtains framing the doorway.

Briallen knocked hesitantly on the bottom half and then leaned in to look around. Inside was an incredibly well-kept country-style kitchen and breakfast nook, though it lacked Muggle appliances, aside from a refrigerator. Not a single rag, salt shaker, or floor mat was out of place. There was a washrag wiping down the counters on its own accord, and a brown and white barn owl was perched sleepily on the back of one of the chairs in the dining area. Briallen was so caught up in looking around the house she didn't even realize that somebody was coming towards the door until Hayden blocked her view.

"His name is Humphrey."

The owl on the chair turned his head to see who it was that said his name and then, realizing he was not needed, closed his eyes again.

"Oh!" said Briallen surprised. "I was wondering where you were. Usually you're waiting for me on the porch."

"Sorry, I had to clean my room," said Hayden with a smile as he stepped out onto the porch and shut the door. "I saw you, though, from my bedroom window. It's right there." He pointed to the small rectangle window directly above the door.

"When are you going to invite me up there?" asked Briallen. She was curious to see the rest of his house, since the only wizarding home she had actually gotten to explore was her grandfather's.

Hayden looked surprised as he stammered, "Uh, um… "

Briallen quickly realized why Hayden was stammering and blushed. She had spent enough time with Marisol and Chante to hear what it was boys and girls did together when they were alone, and was embarrassed to have insinuated to Hayden that was she wanted them to do. "That's not what I meant. I just, you know, meant to, like, hang out, and stuff. You know, as friends."

Briallen knew she was blushing a little pink, but Hayden was red as a tomato. "I know, of course I knew – I knew that's what you meant… um, ready for lunch at Charlotte's?"

"Yes, please," answered Briallen, jumping down the porch steps already, eager to forget the awkward moment, though she now couldn't stop thinking about what it would be like to kiss Hayden. She felt an urgent need to speak with Marisol, or her mother, or Mrs Whibbles even, to have this strange thought explained and either encouraged or rejected. She was growing too indecisive when she was around Hayden, unsure of whether she wanted him to ask her out again or not.

The two walked in silence around the porch to the front of the house and across the brick street to Charlotte's, a rather small but quaint seafood restaurant located in a cape cod style house over-looking the lake. Normally, Briallen ate inside near one of the windows in the back, so that she had a view of the lake and Bergamot, but with the warm weather the restaurant's back deck, which extended partially over the lake, was open for dining and Briallen was looking forward to eating out there for the first time. The hostess inside greeted them and Briallen quickly requested an outside table before Hayden could say anything different.

The hostess graciously guided them to a white wicker table on the back deck and gave them two menus. She then waved her wand and two glasses of water appeared in front of them. "I'm Hannah and I'll be your waitress today. Can I get you anything else to drink?" she asked in a friendly manner. Hayden ordered them both a glass of lemonade, told the waitress they weren't yet ready to order their meals, and Hannah disappeared back inside the restaurant.

"It's so pretty," murmured Briallen as she put her menu down and looked out over the lake. She only ever got one of two things at Charlotte's: clam chowder or a salmon panini, and so she turned her attention to other things.

There was hardly any breeze now and the sun shone down without a cloud in the sky. Whatever the strange weather was that was affecting Dustum didn't seem to have reached The Village. Out on the large lake there were dozens of boats: small row boats, pontoons holding ten to fifteen people with music blaring from some unseen source, fishing boats with line stretching for yards out into the water, and small yacht-like boats with older people on them, laughing and drinking. Briallen couldn't see Brandybuck Beach from where she was sitting, but she was sure that there were a lot of people there too, swimming and enjoying the warm summer weather. She could also see Bergamot perfectly from her place on Charlotte's deck and she couldn't help but smile as she thought of how soon the new school year would be starting.

Though she had nearly died, twice even, and many bad things had happened, she thought fondly of Bergamot. She had made more friends her first year there than in all her years at Surry County Elementary, learned all about magic, and had a great adventure (albeit, a dangerous one). Briallen could not wait to find out what this year would bring, though she definitely hoped for less danger.

"So, are you still trying out for the Withers Quodpot team?" asked Hayden before taking a sip of water. He licked his lips and Briallen stared, a confusing feeling washing over her. She shook it off.

"Yeah. Benjamin visited me a few times this summer, since he got his Apparition license. He's been working with me on my flying, though it was mostly all theory since my dad wouldn't let us fly around in the backyard. He says I have a good throwing arm, but I'm not the best flyer, of course, and with Conall Lonigan still the Captain… well, you've been to Quodpot games – you know how he is."

"No kidding. I think you're crazier than John Halgwar to want to try out for the team while he's Captain. You do know that if you make the team he'll have you training at dawn, right? And at lunch. And sunset. Even a couple of nights, and through rain, wind or snow."

Briallen didn't understand Hayden's reference to a John Halgwar, figuring him to just be another one of the Van Vlerahs' mythical wizards, but she nodded in agreement. "I know, but I think it'd be fun still. I played softball and soccer when I was younger and those coaches can be just as tough. Especially little-league soccer – the mothers are the scariest sometimes, because they get so into the game. Anyway, I want to prove to my grandpa that I can be disciplined and responsible, and mature. How about you? Are you joining any clubs or trying out for Quodpot or Quidditch this year?"

"No sports for me… at least, not Quodpot or Quidditch. I played Shuntbumps when I was little and always lost, and ever since then I've never really liked broom games. I've been a member of the Gobstones club since first year, though, and I'm part of BBN – Bring Bergamot News – it's a club that's been petitioning for a school newspaper for the past ten years. We send out newsletters and have meetings to discuss news stuff."

"Ten years?"

"Yeah. I think the faculty will give in soon, though, with Mrs Shan being our librarian. She used to work for The Daily Prophet and The Wizard Times. Dean Bevin hired her just a few years before I started. I was also thinking of becoming a tutor for first years."

Briallen was impressed. "You have a lot planned."

"So do you," said Hayden, blushing again.

Briallen couldn't help but grin when she noticed Hayden was blushing again. He did that a lot around her and, for some reason, it pleased her. "So, are we going to the faire after lunch? Or shopping today and faire tomorrow?"

"I was thinking we'd go to the faire today and shopping tomorrow. That way we can just stay for Brenda's concert."

"I'm so excited to see her! I read about her in _Young Witch_ all the time, and me and Marisol listened to her music a lot last year. Toby _hates_ her, though. But he thinks the Foggy Mountain Boys are the greatest musicians that ever lived." Briallen rolled her eyes.

"Yeah," replied Hayden slowly, not sure who Briallen was talking about. "People either love her or hate her. I don't think her music's bad… good for dancing to."

"This is going to be a great day. I've been wanting to see her live really bad," said Briallen so quickly that her words began to run together. "Marisol went to one of her shows last summer and said she was _amazing_, and that at one point she had a Hippogriff on stage and they flew over the audience!"

Hayden and Briallen chatted happily about Brenda Lance and other musicians in the wizarding world, and Hayden mentioned being especially fond of a rock band known as Vacuumed. Then they spoke about how glad they were to go back to school and all the things they were looking forward to learning, with Briallen more eager about spells and Hayden more eager about his Theurgic Humanities, as they later made their way from Charlotte's to the Quad and Prather Park, where the faire was being held. As they cut through the train station, Briallen looked back to the dock where the boats had been waiting when she was a first year, and she was surprised to see them already there, ready to take this year's batch of first years to Bergamot.

"Hey, look over there," said Hayden. They crossed the street and walked towards Hamlet Hall, where there was a large procession of witches and wizards of all ages were mingling in gauzy or pin-striped dress robes. "I completely forgot that Prue Walsh is getting married today. She's marrying some old, rich wizard from Canada. My mom thinks it's disgusting because she's only marrying for money. He's like seventy years older than her."

Briallen examined the witches and wizards of the wedding party, searching for the supposedly despicable bride, whom she had never heard of or seen before. She frowned when she didn't see any woman dressed in a white. "Where's the bride? There isn't anyone in a white dress anywhere…"

"That's typically for Muggle weddings, isn't it? Here, we do things differently. The bride is that one over there – in yellow. It's tradition in The Village for the bride to wear wedding robes in some shade of yellow – gold, bronze, topaz… But red is becoming popular now, too. My cousin in Maine wore _green_ wedding robes for her wedding, mostly because that's her favorite color… and because she married an Irishman."

"Why yellow?" asked Briallen, genuinely curious. She had been a part of the wizarding world for a year now, but she still kept learning new and fascinating things about the community she was now a member of.

"Yellow is associated with happiness. And golden galleons," laughed Hayden. "And red is for passion…"

Briallen blushed and nodded as they walked past Hamlet Hall and cut across to Apple Lane which would lead them south to the park and quad. As soon as they reached Apple Lane though, the crowds multiplied ten-fold and Briallen had to hold on tightly to Hayden to keep from losing him.

"I didn't think there were this many people living in The Village!" said Briallen, surprised, as a couple of young kids darted past her, nearly knocking her over.

"There aren't, but this is the only wizarding town in the area. Most of the wizarding families that live near here come to the faire every year, and so do people from everywhere else. It's a big event, second only to the Ministry's tree-lighting ceremony!"

"There's so many of them!" Briallen said, excited and invigorated by the large crowd. "Maybe that _was_ the Price family I saw earlier, then… We'll have to stop by and say hello! I've been wanting to ask Kara about Gavin and see how he's doing. I haven't been able to get a hold of him by owl. I hope he's alright."

"Gavin Ellison? I've heard rumors that he might not come back to Bergamot for his last year because of his condition. He might be staying in New York and be home schooled or something. Tinna says there's a school just for werewolves somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, but I don't think that's true."

"What? He deserves to finish out his schooling where he started, and where his friends are!"

Hayden shrugged but then smiled as the crowd parted just enough for them to see all the food and game booths in Prather Park. "We just got rides a couple of years ago, because of the mayor at the time, Dan Sparrow… he's Muggle-born and hired a bunch of Muggles to set up the rides. Of course, the Obliviators have to wipe their memories clean every year, but the Minister humors the mayor and it's absolutely worth it – I love the Ferris-wheel!"

Briallen looked at Quentin's Quad, which was on the block diagonal to Prather Park. She held her hand over her eyes to block the sun so that she could see the rides. Sure enough, there was a large old fashioned Ferris-wheel, and several other rides common to carnivals. "That's the old kind of Ferris-wheel. They should get the kind with the boxes instead, it's safer."

"We're surrounded by witches and wizards, no one is going to die," assured Hayden. "Would you like some cotton candy?"

"Sure, please," said Briallen politely.

Hayden pulled a couple of knuts out of his pocket and paid the man making the cotton candy for two cones. "Briallen, you're going to have to let go of my arm for a minute."

Briallen released her tight grip on Hayden's arm while still keeping her eyes on the crowd around them, looking out for friends and other people she might recognize. Hayden then handed her a cone covered in shiny, pink cotton candy before he took a hold of her free hand and walked her over to the game booths.

The games were nothing like the boring Muggle games Briallen had seen at the carnivals and amusement parks her parents had taken her to over the years – these magical games were more difficult and looked just a little bit dangerous. There was one where you had to step inside a glass cage full of pixies and try to catch as many as you could, with prizes ranging from stuffed animals that actually walked to flying carpets. Another game required the player to use his or her wand to shoot mini-comets at flat, metal targets made to look like dinosaurs, except the targets roamed their pin freely, occasionally turning sideways, making it impossible to hit them. Briallen was most amused by the latter game and made Hayden watch it with her for a while, quickly realizing no-one could hit more than three dinosaurs, and heckling those who could barely hit one.

Then she saw a game she just had to try for herself. It looked like one of those tests of strength, where a person takes a sledge-hammer and hits a push plate to try and make a bell ring, except this one tested magical strength. Briallen remembered last winter when she had an fight with Lucan Stone about magical strength and how he had argued that he was stronger than she was, because he was a pureblood. Briallen, of course, thought that was ridiculous.

"Hayden, I'm going to try this one myself," said Briallen as she reached into her dress pocket for her wand and two sickles.

"Are you sure? I could do it, and maybe win you a prize," stammered Hayden, pulling out his wand and some money as well. "Do you want me to win you a prize?"

"I can win myself a prize," said Briallen confidently. She had given the man running the game her money and already had her wand aimed at the target directly in front of her. Hayden looked disappointed and slightly embarrassed but he stood aside and watched quietly.

"You get three tries, little lady," explained the game-runner. "Best score wins."

Briallen nodded, took a deep breath, and then pulled her arm all the way back and threw it forward, as if she were pitching a baseball. Bright orange sparks flew out the end of her wand and hit the red target, making the weight above it rise to a level where the weight shouted, "Not bad – if you're a troll!" After another deep breath, she tried the same wand technique, only this time the weight didn't go so high and it shouted at her, "Are you sure you're not a Muggle?!" Briallen fumed at the weight and its taunting, and pictured it in her mind as Lucan. She took several steps back, took a running start and jumped as she threw her arm forward. The sparks hit the target with a ear-shattering bang and the weight finally hit the bell and boomed, "Order of Merlin! First Class, definitely!"

Hayden looked from the bell to Briallen, awed and ashamed by her showmanship, especially as the witches and wizards nearby began to hoot and clap.

Briallen was breathing hard and had broken a light sweat but she turned to the game-runner with no hesitance and a large grin and asked, "What's my prize?"

"A brand-new, 1992 Sampo brand auto-camera, and my sincere admiration little lady!" replied the good-natured game-runner. He opened a display case behind him and removed a triangular, black camera. "It's already got some film in it but if you need more, it just takes regular auto-film."

Briallen took it happily from the man and began to examine the strange camera. The top of the triangular camera enclosed what looked like a flash, and on either side were two finger-holes, the right-one which had a small, but long, red button. The view-finder was near the top and on the bottom of the camera there was a long slot. There was also a length of black cord wound and taped to the bottom, which Briallen undid so that she could proudly hang her new prize around her neck.

Overcome with curiosity, Hayden didn't seem quite so ashamed anymore as he walked over to Briallen and admired her new camera as well. "Wow, this is the brand new model! Let's take a picture together!"

Briallen flipped the little green button near the flash that said 'on/off' to 'on' and turned the front of the camera to face Hayden and herself. Hayden leaned in as close as possible as Briallen clicked the shutter button. Instantly, the slot at the bottom pushed out a magical photograph: in it, Briallen and Hayden were grinning madly and pushing and pulling each other to stay in frame.

"That's really great!" said Hayden with a laugh as he held the photo up for a better look. "And the quality is an amazing improvement compared to their earlier models."

"You can keep it if you want," said Briallen. She raised the camera again and took a picture of Hayden. She had never had a magical camera before, and had never even thought about buying one, but she was extremely pleased with her prize.

"Was that you that rung the bell?" asked Mindy Price, who had just run up to Briallen and Hayden. Briallen almost didn't recognize Mindy; she had cut her dark, red hair very short, above her ears, and she was wearing mascara and lipstick (Briallen had never seen any of the Price sisters wear make-up before). Mindy's little sister Ashley, and Cass Elwood, two girls in Briallen's year, followed close behind.

"Yeah! I didn't think I'd actually hit that bell. And I got a great prize!" Briallen took a picture of the three girls unexpectedly. When she looked at the photograph that popped out, the girls in it were stunned and blinking, and rubbing their eyes. She laughed.

Briallen and Hayden had spent most of the rest afternoon with the three girls. Ashley told Briallen that Kara and Gavin were still together, and even though their parents worried about the two of them because of Gavin's condition, they knew him well and would not stop them from seeing each other. Hearing that made Briallen immensely happy. Ever since Gavin had saved her life at the north wood cave, she had been overly concerned for his well-being, knowing that even though he was a good guy, he was going to have problems now that he was werewolf. Eventually, Cass Elwood grew bored and went home, and Ashley and Mindy left to meet their family for dinner at one of the out-door cafes in the middle of town and away from the faire.

The sun was beginning to set and Hayden, after playing several dozen games, finally won Briallen a stuffed dragon that breathed puffs of cotton fluff instead of fire. Briallen had insisted that she play the same games as well and win something for Hayden, but she wasn't as good at any them as she was at the magical-strength game. Eventually she managed to win a rubber ducky for him. Briallen thought it was stupid, but Hayden was thrilled with it and kept squeezing it until Briallen had to ask him to stop.

"I've always wanted one of these!" said Hayden happily as he gave the duck a squeeze again. He laughed as it released its irritating noise. "Do Muggle children really take baths with these?"

"Oh, yes, all the time. Now come on, let's go on the Ferris-wheel before Brenda's concert! I bet you can see all of The Village from up there! And Bergamot!" said Briallen, taking a handful of Hayden's shirt in her hand and dragging him over to the rides. Hayden and Briallen were laughing and talking, completely unaware of everybody else around them, when somebody bumped into Briallen. She fell backwards into the dry dirt and grass of the quad, and was thankful her dress went down to her knees.

"So sorry," said Lucan Stone as he helped Briallen up. She thought she detected the faintest hint of a smile but wasn't sure. Hayden was staring daggers at him. "I see you're on a date with… what's your name again?"

"Van Vlerah. Hayden Van Vlerah," replied Hayden. "And if you'll _please_ excuse us, we're on our way to the Ferris-wheel."

Lucan glanced back at the rides in annoyance. "I had to take my little sister on that thing earlier."

"I didn't know you have a sister, Lucan," said Briallen, amazed that after all the time they'd spent together, she still knew so little about him. She began looking around Lucan for a little girl, imagining her to look just like him only shorter and with longer hair. "Where is she?"

"I'm afraid she's gone off with her mother to fetch some sweets," answered a deep voice. Briallen looked up to see Carey Stone, a man she had only met once, but had made a lasting impression. As before, he wearing very expensive business robes and shiny shoes. His brown-black eyes looked over Briallen with barely disguised contempt. "I recall you refusing to have anything to do with my grandson when we first met. You recognized the difference between the two of you and yet, I hear you spent most of your first year not letting him alone."

"Well, maybe you should spend less time gossiping and more time minding your own business," replied Briallen haughtily, not bothering to correct him and tell him it had been Lucan who wouldn't leave her alone.

Carey Stone narrowed his eyes. "You impertinent little girl; you forget who you're speaking to. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised by your lack of respect for your elders after your outburst last winter – yelling and screaming at a teacher? Such behavior will do more damage to your future than anything else ever could, and I'm sure you won't learn to control yourself anytime soon. And Lucan tells me you have a tendency for injuring students and breaking school rules… What a disappointment you must be to Cal, and to your Squib parents."

Briallen was fuming but she was unable to think of a retort that didn't involve calling Carey Stone some sort of childish name. She felt in her pocket for her wand. Hayden realized what Briallen was about to do and, knowing Carey Stone and his reputation better than she did, he quickly pulled her away from the Stone family and to the Ferris-wheel, mumbling a quick good-bye.

"You don't want to get into a fight with that man, Briallen. Werewolves and angry hags are nothing compared to the wrath of Carey Stone," whispered Hayden. "You really have no idea what he is capable of."

"How would you know what he's capable before?"

"My family has only ever known his bad side," said Hayden cryptically as they stepped in line for the Ferris-wheel.

Briallen didn't mention the Stones again as they waited in line. Their good mood was shattered now, and though they held hands, neither of them spoke. Finally they were let into a cart, and after a couple of turns, the ride stopped with Briallen and Hayden near the top. Briallen's head swiveled quickly in all directions as she tried to see everything she could from their perch atop the Ferris-wheel.

"Oh, look at The Village! It's so pretty with all the lights! And you can see Bergamot _so_ well from up here! See – there's the castle and the pitch and the clock-tower, and those must be the greenhouses, though it's hard to tell 'cause their lights aren't on…"

"And to think you were scared to ride this," said Hayden, smiling.

"Well, I'm glad you dragged me on it, it's pretty neat."

Suddenly she felt Hayden's lips on her cheek and when he pulled away, she stared at him. He was looking at the crowd below them, blushing a bright red again. Briallen smiled and almost giggled before she caught herself. The last thing she wanted was for Hayden to think she was a silly, boy-crazy girl like Marisol. As calmly as she could, she wrapped her arm around Hayden's arm and gave him a smile. He grinned a grin so large that Briallen could have sworn it reached his ears and then… the Ferris-wheel began to move again.


	3. The Coming Storm

Chapter 3: The Coming Storm

**Chapter 3: The Coming Storm**

"This book is due in two weeks. And since you are new to our library, I feel I should give you a warning," said the young woman behind a large horse-shoe shaped desk located at the back of The Village Library. "If you fail to return it on time, it'll chase you around the house until you take it back." Briallen's eyes widened and she nodded to show that she understood. "Alrighty! Have a good day, then!" said the librarian cheerfully, officially excusing Briallen from her presence.

Briallen shook her head and wished that Hayden was with her. He was supposed to spend the day with her but a property owned by his parents in Roanoke had been vandalized and they had been recruited him to clean it. She walked slowly down the front steps of the library as she placed the book in her shoulder bag and then looked around. The faire was still going on that day and the library faced Prather Park, the most crowded part of town. The Bubbling Cauldron was just across the street to her right, however, and Briallen felt that a big, cool glass of iced tea was just what she needed.

The pub was packed inside with locals and visitors, looking for a cool place to relax and take a break from the chaos of the faire. Briallen was thankful that there were no screaming little kids inside. The only noise in the pub was that of the customers happily chatting to one another. She normally didn't mind small children but with the faire in town, The Village seemed to be overrun with little kids and all they did was scream and cry, very loudly, which grated Briallen's nerves severely. She squeezed her way to the bar in the back and ordered her iced tea before taking a seat on an empty barstool, vacated just seconds earlier.

"Briallen!" shouted a voice near her ear. Briallen jumped and held her hand to heart, surprised. She smiled at Cass Elwood who was suddenly standing serenely by her side. "Sorry to scare you! Where's Hayden?"

"Family emergency," said Briallen with a melancholy shrug. "What are you doing here? I thought your brother's birthday party was today?"

"It is. They just sent me here for a few jugs of pumpkin juice because we've actually run out. Apparently his friends are all fish! Do you want to come back with me?"

"No thanks, I don't want to be a bother."

"Oh, please, Briallen! You'd be doing me a favor if you came. All the party guests are older kids I hardly know… please come!"

Briallen caved easily because she was bored, and so she nodded, downed her iced tea in two large gulps, and followed Cass to the side of the large pub where there was an open door. Three short, rickety steps led to an narrow cobblestone alleyway overgrown with flowering weeds. Next to the stairs there was parked a shiny, silver wheelbarrow, and several large men were hauling jugs of pumpkin juice from inside the pub and placing the jugs inside of it. Briallen looked at the wheelbarrow and its cargo of a dozen one-gallon jugs of juice and wondered how Cass planned on getting something so heavy back to her home.

"Will you be able to haul that all the way back to your house?" asked Briallen as she tested the weight of the wheelbarrow by trying to lift the two handles. She was unable to lift it more than a half inch and could hardly even push it. "It's really heavy!"

Cass Elwood laughed at Briallen. "Are we witches or not? A Feather-Light Charm and we'll get it there without a problem."

A man came out and put one more jug in the wheelbarrow, told Cass it was the last, and went back inside, closing the door to the pub after him. Cass pointed her wand at the heavy wheelbarrow and cast the Feather-Light Charm. She then took hold of both of the handle bars, lifted them with ease and the two girls began their walk to the Elwoods' house.

Briallen had been friends with Cass for a year now, since they shared a dorm, but they had never hung out enough for Briallen to be asked over to Cass's house before. She knew that Cass lived in Hoadley's Hollow, which was an upscale, gated community full of large plantation-style manors, but the closest she had been to any of those homes was just outside the neighborhood gate. She was looking forward to seeing the actual neighborhood from the inside this time, and the opportunity to see one of the large houses on the inside.

"So how old is your brother now?" asked Briallen, trying as casually as possible to learn more about the youngest, enigmatic Elwood.

"He's twenty. He's training to be a Healer at St. Birger's Hospital in Dallas so most of the people at the party are people he went to school with and people he works with."

"Did he graduate just before we started?"

"Yes," said Cass, a little sadly, as they crossed the street. They walked past the first gate, which was the one that Briallen, Marisol and Toby had longingly gazed through last Halloween, and down the sidewalk to the next gate, which was directly across from Quentin's Quad where all the carnival rides were set up. "I love having the faire here every year but ever since they put up the rides, it's gotten a bit annoying at night. Wild kids running and screaming past the gates, throwing toilet paper all over them, and drunks trying to break in. It's such a hassle. My parents aren't very pleased."

Briallen nodded politely as they stopped in front of the second set of gates. Cass called to one of the security guards inside and he opened the gate only just enough to let them through. Briallen thought it was funny that out of all the times she had passed by the gates of Hoadley's Hollow, she didn't once remember seeing any security guards. She didn't say anything about it, though, as she followed Cass down the wide street, but after a couple of yards she just had to turn around to get one last look at the guard. She was surprised to find that he had seemingly disappeared. There wasn't even a guard's post, let alone any guards. Briallen gasped.

Cass Elwood paused and looked at Briallen and then back at the gate and smiled. "They're under the Disillusionment Spell, Briallen. So people don't know they're there."

"How many are there?"

"There's usually only two on duty at any time: one for each gate. But when big events like this are taking place, we have about ten. Three for each gate and four to walk along the wall and make sure nobody is trying to climb over it or something stupid like that."

"Wow… you all are big on privacy here aren't you?" That was something Briallen had noticed long ago when she saw there were only five houses in Hoadley's Hollow, when it could easily contain twenty average sized homes – thirty if there wasn't a large pond in the middle of the long curved road that led from one gate to the other.

"Not so much privacy as safety. A lot of the people here own valuable and rare items, and as much as we try to keep it a secret, gossip spreads like wildfire in this town. Everybody knows what we possess better than we do, it seems. Did you know there are over a dozen attempted burglaries here every year?"

"Has anyone ever succeeded in breaking into a home here?"

"Very rarely," said Cass, rather arrogantly. "My father says that our security here is second only to Gringotts, and superior to that of Waters Edge. That's why most of the families here don't keep their things in any bank."

Briallen wanted to ask Cass how everyone in Hoadley's Hollow kept their gold safe from burglars but just then they turned onto a thin road that led to the Elwoods' manor, and she instantly forgot everything she'd been thinking. The fact that the house had its own name, Eltham Estate, was enough to awe Briallen, although she remembered her grandfather telling her that his manor has a name as well (but what it was she couldn't remember). What really astonished Briallen though was her first good look at the house. At first, a towering willow tree and several large oak trees obstructed her view as they walked down the road towards Eltham Estate, but when they turned onto the main driveway and were past the trees, her jaw dropped.

A round driveway, much like the road that circled in front of Bergamot, wrapped around a large fountain with cherubs and angles and mermaids carved onto it. Its water trickled softly over the edges of its three tiers as two swans glided contently in its large, round basin. The road itself was not brick, like at Bergamot, but made of wide plates of gray slate. The large, three story, white wood house had four impossibly tall pillars supporting the roof, which extended over the entire front of the home. There were many fancy carriages parked in the driveway near the front door, along with a few old fashioned cars, but, to Briallen's dismay, they were not going in that direction. Instead, Cass lead Briallen down a stone path to the right side of the house that led to two large, French-doors that opened to the kitchen.

"Whoa, my mom would love this kitchen," murmured Briallen as she ran a hand along the pearly, marble countertops and smooth, white cabinets. The kitchen was four times the size of her mother's kitchen and so Briallen supposed that it was only appropriate for there to be four cooks bustling about. Cass began unloading the jugs of pumpkin juice onto a countertop with windows that opened into the backyard, so that it served as a bar to those outside. Then Briallen realized what had been bugging her about this scene. It did not look like the kitchen of witches and wizards, as she expected it to, because there were only human cooks and no house-elves. "Where are your house-elves?"

Cass grimaced at Briallen's last word. "We don't have any. My mother is an activist. Well, she's actively opinionated and actively protests in support of those opinions. In other words, she doesn't believe in slavery, however she couldn't find enough house-elves who would be willing to work in exchange for holidays, pay, and freedom, and so we are the only residents of in this neighborhood who have human servants."

Briallen could have sworn she heard one of the four cooks snort and then try to disguise her laugh with a sneeze.

"My grandpa has a couple house-elves. There's three for cleaning, one for cooking and one who… I think she's married to the cook but she just helps out wherever. Mostly she keeps my grandpa company. They seem happy, and the house-elves at Bergamot seem happy too."

"That's only because your grandfather is a good wizard," said Cass in all seriousness. "Not all wizards are as nice as he is." Cass placed the last of the jugs on the counter and wiped her hands on her shorts. "Want to meet my brother now?"

"Definitely!" said Briallen with a huge smile. Cass lead Briallen out the French-doors and around the corner of the house to the backyard where a large number of people, most of whom looked to be in their early twenties, relaxed around a buffet, several large white tables and the fanciest pool Briallen had ever seen.

Cass walked confidently over to a group of boys sitting shirtless beside the pool, their legs dangling over its golden-gilded edge in the clear water. She tapped one of them on the shoulder and the boy turned and smiled at her. Briallen was in awe once again. She was sort of attracted to Hayden, and Gavin, when he wasn't yet a friend, had made her heart flutter, but now she felt as if her heart had stopped beating completely. As Cass's older brother stood up, Briallen couldn't help but stare. She felt as if she had been paralyzed by the sight of him. He wasn't muscular but he was trim, with a strong boxy jaw, a wide nose and round, blue eyes, and he had the most perfect smile Briallen had ever seen. And he had apparently just got out of the pool, as his hair was wet and beads of water dripped off of him. To Briallen, he was glittering.

"Briallen, this is my brother: Kentigern Edward Idris Elwood, the _fourth_," announced Cass with affected pomp. She began to bow but was interrupted when her brother tickled her stomach and made her laugh.

"How many times have I told you to just introduce me to your friends as _Kent_?" he said, with faux exasperation and a toothy grin. "They must all think I'm ridiculously arrogant."

"With a name like yours, it just isn't possible for me to say it any other way. Anyway, like I was telling you earlier, this is a friend of mine from school: Briallen Bevin. Briallen meet Kent, Kent meet Briallen."

Kent held out his hand but Briallen was just staring at his eyes. He paused a moment, confused, and then he laughed and withdrew his hand to replace it with that hug that only men do: a quick semi-embrace with an even quicker pat on the back. She was slightly damp now from his hug, but she didn't notice. "Are you two going to swim with us? The water's amazing and we don't mind sharing."

Briallen suddenly felt mortified as his hug slammed her back into reality and she realized she had not only snubbed his hand but was staring, blatantly, right at him. "Uh, no… no, I didn't bring a swimsuit," mumbled Briallen as she moved her eyes to her feet. She would have loved to go swimming in the crystal water, to observe up-close the intricately detailed tiles at the bottom of the pool that created the image of a mermaid when looked at from above, but she suddenly found herself feeling incredibly self-conscious. And self-conscious was a feeling Briallen was wholly unfamiliar to experiencing around people she didn't even know – and around people she did know, for that matter.

"Aw, that's too bad. The water's warm and it's a gorgeous day out," said Kent as he glanced over at a beautiful girl with dark, curly hair and who was wearing nothing but a short skirt and a bikini top. She smiled sweetly and waved him over. "I'm being called by my lady now, but it was nice meeting you Briallen. Tell your grandfather hello for me."

Briallen nodded and Kent trotted obediently off to the gorgeous girl, lifted her off the ground, twirled her and then kissed her. Briallen felt the most intense jealousy she had ever felt in her life as she watched them. She began to seriously contemplate hexing Kent's girlfriend to another planet, but Cass interrupted that thought with an invitation to tour the house and then play a game of wizard chess. Briallen agreed and followed Cass inside the house, secretly thankful to get away from Kent before she did anything embarrassing or reckless.

The tour of the Eltham Estate's manor house ended up being fascinating enough to take Briallen's mind off of Kent Elwood. She 'oohed' and 'aahed' as Cass showed her fourteen rooms in the house, which didn't include all the bedrooms and bathrooms (most were taken by the guests), and when they finally got to Cass' room, which looked over the backyard, Briallen was green with envy. Cass Elwood's walk-in closet was nearly the size of Briallen's bedroom back home, though it pleased her to see that her bedroom at her grandfather's house was the same size as Cass' own bedroom.

Briallen was fairly surprised when Cass first introduced her bedroom, though, because it did not look like the room of a teenaged girl, or a teenaged witch. There were no photographs or posters on the walls, no clothes hanging over the bedpost, no soda cans or magazines on the floor. Briallen could only think of one word that properly described Cass Elwood's bedroom: _crisp_. It had pale, almost gray, wood flooring, and blue walls so light they were almost white, and very plain, very sharp, white furniture. The only thing that really stood out to Briallen were the small, faded red and yellow painted sailing boats that bordered the walls near the ceiling, except one wall, on which was painted a beach scene with sand dunes, a white wood and wire fence and a small red crab standing near a calm, ebbing ocean. Briallen had never felt more at peace.

"I painted that wall, you know. I love the ocean, especially in England. My family has a house in Cornwall, on the beach – I'm going to live there someday," stated Cass as she began to set up a game of wizard chess on a table in a corner where there was a window on each wall.

"Sounds wonderful… I really like your room. It's so… soothing."

"Well, I must confess there are spells on the doorway that make anyone who passes through it feel calm and relaxed. It's great for when my parents are angry with me," said Cass with a laugh. Briallen couldn't imagine Mr and Mrs Elwood ever having any reason to be angry with their daughter. "Come on, let's play."

Briallen nodded and sat in the corner, across from Cass. From the window on her left she could look down into the backyard, and out the window behind her there was a great view of Bergamot. Briallen was more concerned with the view of the backyard, however. She was not very good at wizard chess when she was concentrating but with most of her attention focused on watching the gorgeous Kent Elwood do dive after perfect dive into the pool, she was horrible.

After winning two whole games in less than a half hour (which even included a lemonade and cookie break in between), Cass sighed and sat back. "I should have waited to introduce you to my brother after we played. Or I could just… "

Briallen grinned, not taking her eyes off Kent, who was now drying himself with a fluffy towel. She wondered if there was a spell to turn oneself into something like a towel. "Or you could just what?" She did not receive an answer. "Cass?" asked Briallen as she tore her eyes away from Kent to see why her friend wasn't speaking. But Cass was not paying attention to Briallen anymore. She was frowning, looking past Briallen, and out the window behind her.

Suddenly Briallen heard a scream from the backyard and she looked down to see everybody rushing to pick up their things or running inside. She knew instantly that something strange and bad was happening. And then she heard the sound of thunder and the house shook.

"Briallen, can you please move?" asked Cass politely. Briallen readily got out of her chair and moved to the side and Cass took her place so she could get a better view of what was going on outside. "What in the name of Merlin is that?"

Briallen moved closer to Cass and looked out the window that faced Bergamot and gasped. Gray and yellow storm clouds swirled around the school and a flash of lightening struck the ground near its front doors, yet no rain fell. By the way the trees were swaying wildly, Briallen could tell the wind had picked up great speed.

"I have no idea… I've never seen a storm like that. Have you?" mumbled Briallen.

"No. But I think I might have heard of one before."

"Cassandra, Briallen, come on," announced Kent. He stood just outside Cass's room, dressed haphazardly and obviously worried. "Briallen, an owl just arrived with a message from your grandfather. He wants you to Floo back to his house right away, where he knows you'll be safe. Cass, I want you to come downstairs with me and the others so that I can keep an eye on you. This storm looks bad."

"It looks magical…" murmured Cass as she took one last look at the storm brewing over Bergamot, and then followed Briallen and Kent downstairs to the ballroom.

"What do I say to Floo to my grandpa's?" asked Briallen, holding a handful of Floo powder and standing in front of the fireplace.

"Just say 'Bevin house,' and he'll be waiting for you there. I'm sorry to cut short your visit – I'd have been more than willing to watch over you," Kent explained.

Briallen frowned, not liking that Kent insinuated he would have essentially baby-sat her if her grandfather hadn't sent for her. She stepped into the Elwoods' ballroom fireplace, saw Cass wave goodbye, and threw down the Floo powder and said, "Bevin house."

The trip was only a fraction of a second before she popped into the fireplace in Cal Bevin's living room, and she was angry when she saw that it was Mrs Whibbles waiting for her and not her grandfather. He had practically demanded she return to his house and he wasn't even there to explain to her what was going on.

"Miss, Mister Bevin says he had to go take of the school," said Mrs Whibbles, "and that we should go to cellar! Big storm coming, you know!"

"Cellar? Is it a tornado?" asked Briallen, now concerned. She had never seen or experienced a tornado before, but her Muggle school had practiced tornado drills twice a year, every year, just in case. Nervously, she tried to remember the rules of what to do during a tornado: seek shelter away from windows, hide under a table, put your head between your knees and your hands over your head… or was it hands over the neck? She couldn't remember, and hoped she wouldn't have to.

"Mister just says go to cellar. Come now," said Mrs Whibbles, taking Briallen's hand. The little house-elf led Briallen down a narrow hallway at the back of the house that ended at an old, oak door covered in scratches on the inside. Briallen stopped walking, causing Mrs Whibbles to trip backwards since she still held Briallen's hand.

"What are these from?" asked Briallen as she ran her fingers gently over just a few of the many faded scratch marks. They reminded Briallen of the door to her dad's barn, after a pack of coyotes had tried to break in to get to the chickens one winter. "Is there something living in the basement?"

"No, nothing, it's nothing," said Mrs Whibbles, strangely aloof, not even looking at the scratches. The house-elf tugged on Briallen's hand, urging her to go down the stairs and, reluctantly, Briallen followed.

She could tell Mrs Whibbles wasn't telling her something about the strange marks on the door, but the poor house-elf was so over-come with worry because of the storm that Briallen decided not to question her again just yet. At the bottom of the stairs her grandfather's other four house-elves all sat in a circle, discussing the strange weather. They moved aside to make room for Mrs Whibbles and Briallen.

Briallen looked around the cellar, which her grandfather had never allowed her in before. It had brick walls and a brick floor, and no windows anywhere. Boxes, crates, and barrels, all closed so that Briallen couldn't tell what was inside of them, were stacked neatly along one wall; the other wall held two very large sinks, one of which had several small items of clothing draped over the side, and underneath the stairs were hundreds of small cubby-holes, most of which held a bottle of wine each.

Other than the boxes, the sinks, and the wine, the cellar was surprisingly bare. Every other room in Cal Bevin's house was crammed so full of furniture that the basement, completely void of any sort of clutter, seemed out of place, like it didn't belong to Cal. Briallen was primarily intrigued with all the strange scratches everywhere. Every one of the wood beams supporting the floor above the basement was covered in scratches long and short, shallow and deep, and there were even what looked like teeth marks in many of them. Even the cement floor and brick walls had a few scratches. Briallen wondered what sort of animal her grandfather had kept in the cellar that could do such damage.

Unexpectedly a clap of thunder reverberated from somewhere above them. All of the house-elves squealed in both delight and terror, while Briallen covered her ears to protect them from the high-pitched noise of their voices. She hoped the storm didn't last long.


	4. New Boundaries

Chapter 4: New Boundaries

**Chapter 4: New Boundaries**

Briallen, who had never been further north than Washington D.C., nor further west than Nashville, felt out of place when she arrived in the center of Fort Wayne, Indiana, at a designated Floo-station in a small bookshop storage room. A few days had passed since the big storm in The Village (which lasted abnormally long for a storm), and Cal Bevin had been eager to send Briallen out of Virginia, to visit her friend Marisol. Briallen initially argued against being sent away because she wanted to stay longer in The Village.

She wanted to practice Quodpot with Benjamin and spend the evenings with Hayden, but after the storm nobody was in a very good mood, including her friends. Most of their time was now spent cleaning up the debris, and Hayden hadn't even returned from Roanoke yet. He sent her an owl just before she left for Marisol's, apologizing, and explaining that more damage had been done to their Roanoke property because of the storm. He wouldn't be back until school started in a few weeks since the property was in a Muggle neighborhood, meaning they couldn't use magic to clean it up.

_At least that weird weather hasn't hit Indiana_, thought Briallen as she stepped out of the fireplace. Zofia Escudero, Marisol's mother, was waiting for Briallen just a few feet away and, to Briallen's surprise, she had a car waiting out front to drive Briallen to her home. Most of the witches and wizards Briallen knew who had been raised in magical families were unaccustomed to and unfamiliar with Muggle-life, but Zofia and her husband Alfonso had made the effort to adapt and blend in.

The Escudero family lived just outside of Fort Wayne: close enough to the city for shopping and just far enough away that they could practice magic without intervention from the Ministry of Magic. Briallen stared out the car window at the city as they made their way to the Escudero homestead. To Briallen it looked just like any other large city. It was bland with its tall buildings, high volume traffic, and litter everywhere, but it was still different from what she knew. It did not feel like the South. It did not have the centuries-old charm of Williamsburg; Fort Wayne was, quite simply, a big ugly city and Briallen decided right away that she hated it, and was very glad Marisol lived out in the country.

After half an hour the office buildings with their walls of glass and the crowds of people bustling from meeting to meeting began to thin out and were soon replaced by neighborhoods with small brick homes and untidy, yet welcoming, lawns. Then, even the neighborhoods began to thin out as they entered the Midwestern countryside.

Briallen grinned as she gazed out her window at familiar sights. On either side of the road was farmland, and every few miles there was the occasional farmhouse with its barn and silo and, occasionally, even a windmill. Too soon, Zofia turned off the main highway and onto a narrow gravel road, at the end of which was a beautiful Victorian-style home with a wrap-around porch, tall windows, and a large separate garage, all of which impressed Briallen greatly with its simple beauty. The large trimmed lawn had several large oak, beech, and pine trees scattered about. On the side of the house there was a small playground, shining like new, with its swings swaying in the breeze.

"Home, sweet home," chirped Zofia as she parked the car and unlocked the automatic doors. Briallen stepped out of the car, clutching her small duffle bag tightly to her chest as she followed Zofia into the large house. "Briallen, I have to finish preparing dinner before Alfonso gets home, so you can just go on upstairs. Marisol and Toby are in her room. It's the third door on the right, and it _should_ be _open_. Just be careful not to wake Moraima – she's napping."

Briallen nodded but Zofia had already left for a door at the end of the hallway that Briallen assumed led to the kitchen. She walked up the carpeted stairs to the second floor hallway and looked around. On her left was a door that was slightly ajar. Inside, Briallen could just make out a baby's crib and a light snoring sound. Marisol's little sister, Moraima, was born just before Marisol's first year at Bergamot, though Marisol hardly ever mentioned her. Briallen sensed her friend was jealous of the new baby and so she never mentioned Moraima either. She walked further down the hall until she came to the door she knew had to be Marisol's because it had a pink, crown-shaped sign on the door that read, in glittery, silver calligraphy: 'Princess Marisol's Room – Bow Upon Entering.'

Briallen chuckled and opened the door.

"No, you're doing it wrong. You're _supposed_ to bring the wand in a full circle, and _then_ flick, and _then_ say 'Congelo!' I'm sure of it," argued Marisol as she demonstrated a wand movement for Toby, using a pencil.

Toby grated his teeth and shook his head. "That's _not_ what the book says!"

"That doesn't change the fact that that _is_ how you do it."

"So the _book_ is wrong and _you_ are right? I'm pretty sure that– " Toby paused to look at the cover of the book he was holding. "Devdan Obano knows what he's talking about if the spell-book _he_ wrote is being used to teach _us_."

"Then why did the spell only work when_ I_ cast it, and not when _you_ did?"

Briallen cut in to the prevent the argument from escalating. "What spell are you guys talking about?"

"A congealing spell. It sort of freezes liquids. Well, it turns them into a type of jelly, really. We've been working with that glass of water there."

"Jelly water? Gross," said Briallen, wrinkling her nose.

"Not gross: cool!" corrected Toby with enthusiasm. "It's one of the charms in our new book for Spell-Working this year! There's also some defensive spells in here, finally. Would've been more helpful last year though, right?"

Briallen dropped her duffle bag on the floor and went over to Marisol's bed where she sat down next to Toby. "You've already bought your school supplies? I thought we were supposed to go to Habory Lane together next weekend?"

"I know, but my mom's law firm suddenly got a big case and she had to push back our family vacation from this weekend to next weekend, and so… I'm staying here this week and had to go to Turtle Creek last week to make sure I got my supplies before school started."

"Turtle Creek?"

"It's a wizarding town in Wisconsin. It's not as cool or as big as The Village. And it surrounds the Glen Haven School for Magic. It was weird seeing another wizarding school… it was smaller than Bergamot and it looked more like some cabin resort than a school. I mean, I didn't even know it was a school until I heard someone talking about it. It's really lame. I'm glad I didn't go there."

"At least he gets to stay here for a few days," Marisol told Briallen. "His mom wasn't going to let him visit because she didn't want him to stay the weekend with two _girls_." Marisol laughed loudly, not caring that her baby sister was napping. "My parents had to convince her that we really are just friends."

Briallen wrapped her arms around Toby protectively. "I'm going to have to thank your parents! It wouldn't have been the same without Toby!"

O O O O

The weekend with both Marisol and Toby by her side flew by, and they all had a good time. They played tag on broomsticks in the yard, they practiced new spells, and they played Exploding Snap whenever Moraima wasn't napping. Briallen was sad when Toby had to leave after only a few days, but she just reminded herself that school would be starting soon and then she would get to see with her friends everyday again.

But as she expected the week without Toby went by slowly, compared to the weekend, and, because of sudden rainstorms, Briallen and Marisol were stuck inside most days. This especially upset Marisol because her mother left her in charge of watching Moraima whenever they were stuck inside, which was almost all the time.

"It's not fair," grumbled Marisol as she held Moraima, now one-year old and able to walk. She had a disgruntled look on her face but Moraima didn't notice her sister's unhappiness. "What were my parents thinking having another baby at their age? I mean, they're so old they're practically senior citizens and then when they die, who is going to have to look after this stupid baby? ME. I don't even want to have kids of my own! But they make me baby-sit this little brat…"

"You're parents aren't old; they're not going to die anytime soon; and Moraima is only a baby which means it is too soon to tell whether she's a stupid brat; and, oh, life is never, ever fair."

"Yeah, not for me at least. I wish I was Brenda Lance. _That's_ the good life: fame and fortune and all that fantastic stuff."

"But she doesn't have any luck with boys – they always leave her! You wouldn't be happy if you were in her position."

"True," said Marisol, nodding. "Poor Brenda… did you read the last _YW_? Cyril Nibbs just dumped her, and on her birthday too! I think she might actually be cursed, and the article hinted at that too. It'll be a huge scandal if it turns out she _is_ cursed… probably by her step-mother too!"

"Aw, that's so sad. I feel kind of bad for her," said Briallen, understanding that Marisol was speaking literally.

"Me too. But I'm still jealous. At least she has boyfriends."

"…I think I have a boyfriend," said Briallen slowly. She was almost afraid to mention it because she wasn't sure it was true and because if it was true, it would mean she had her very first boyfriend. Her feelings on the subject had changed dramatically in only a few months and she figured it was because Hayden relentlessly pursued her, slowly convincing her that it would be a good idea for them to go out. She hadn't mentioned her feelings to anyone until then, however. Even though she was almost thirteen and felt she was at an acceptable age to start dating, she knew her parents felt otherwise, and she wasn't even sure she was ready.

Marisol gasped and almost dropped Moraima. She leaned closer to Briallen to ask in an excited whisper, "Who is it? Is it Lucan? I knew it – it's Lucan, isn't it! Bad boys are just so–"

"No! I never–" Briallen paused to take a deep breath, and to remind herself that it was useless to argue about Lucan Stone, since Marisol really only mentioned him to tease her. She took another deep breath, this time so that she could say everything with having to pause to breathe. "It's Hayden Van Vlerah. He's been asking me out since winter break last year but I kept telling him no, until… he sort of grew on me. He's really nice, and he blushes every time he sees me and most of the time he's with me, and he buys me things, and when we went to the faire last week, he kissed me on the cheek at the top of the Ferris-wheel, and then we watched Brenda Lance and he held my hand the _whole_ time."

Marisol began squealing and giggling. Moraima stared at her big sister, fascinated by the noises Marisol made, and tried to imitate her. "No way! Oh my – Merlin's sake! No way! Briallen – _he is so good-looking_! I'm so jealous! Wait a minute – what happened to you not, like, ever wanting a boyfriend? Ever? Remember that?"

"I know! I still kind of don't, and my mom would ground me for life if she found out, but… It's kind of fun having a boy follow me around and be so interested in me," said Briallen with a shrug. Both Marisol and she were bright pink: Marisol because she was happy and excited for her friend, and Briallen because she was still embarrassed to talk Hayden and her feelings for him.

"Now I _have_ to get a boyfriend this year! Who do you think? Dax Rieger is cute…" Marisol started to say as she twirled her hair.

Briallen and Marisol spent the rest of the day talking about boys, and about which boys they thought would be a good match for Marisol. Normally, Briallen actively avoided such conversations, but in the privacy of Marisol's house she found herself enjoying acting like a silly girl and talking about boys. She had never had a friend she could talk to about such things, not that she had really ever thought about boys until she met Marisol.

When Saturday finally arrived, both girls were practically shaking with unused energy, ready to go to Habory Lane, and ready to get out of the house. The trip to get their school supplies meant that school would be starting very soon, and Marisol was very eager to get back to Bergamot and find herself a boyfriend – and Briallen was eager for the same thing because she was starting to grow bored of Marisol's obsession already.

Briallen and Marisol stood in front of the kitchen fireplace in Muggle clothing and a summer cloak proudly displaying their Bergamot house badges (Withers for Briallen and Wenlock for Marisol), and were chatting about how excited they were to go back to Habory Lane.

"Okay, girls – I'm here, I'm here," said Zofia apologetically as she rushed into the kitchen where the very tall, and very wide, fireplace was located. "Alfonso was in the bathroom and I didn't want to leave Moraima by herself. Alright, now take some Floo Powder and all you have to say, Briallen, is 'Habory Lane,' and you'll come out in O'Doyle's. Entiende?"

Briallen nodded, remembering clearly her first trip to Habory Lane last year, as she watched Marisol go first. "Habory Lane!" said Marisol cheerfully as she threw the Floo Powder down on the hearth. She disappeared in a flash of green flames. Briallen followed suit and soon appeared in the large, crowded building that was O'Doyle's Pub and Motel.

Marisol pulled Briallen out from in front of the fireplace so that her mother could get through. Once all three females had cleaned themselves off, they left the pub and entered Habory Lane, ready to go shopping.

Briallen loved Habory Lane because it had an old-world feeling to it, much like Williamsburg, which was one of her favorite cities, though it looked like it could be transplanted with any old American Main Street (without the magic, of course), circa 1950. She also liked that it had a certain hum, an underlying vibration, that just made it feel alive. Everywhere she looked there was magic: spells were being cast, things hung in mid-air without any string or were flying back and forth from store to store or cart to cart, and some things that most Muggles knew to be inanimate were speaking with each other or wandering around on their own. None of this was as shocking as it was when Briallen first saw it, but it still amazed her.

"Alright, girls. I have some shopping to do myself so do you think you'll be alright on your own? We can meet back at O'Doyle's at about three," said Zofia, her hands on her hips. Marisol and Briallen nodded obediently. "And Marisol, you know not to go to the right side of Habory Lane. If Mr. Rarity has to bring you back to O'Doyle's one more time… "

Marisol blushed and whispered hurriedly, "Yo _sé_, mamá."

"Alright… behave, both of you." Zofia then caught sight of somebody she obviously knew and rushed off. "Yolanda! How are you!"

Zofia disappeared in the crowd, leaving Briallen and Marisol standing on the front porch of O'Doyle's. Briallen glanced up at the bright sun and adjusted her tank top, wishing she had remembered to put on some sun block before they left. It had been so cold and foggy in Dustum that she had almost forgotten it was still summer; and the heat was only intensified by the crowd, but Marisol seemed not to notice as she clutched her purse in front of her and looked at the stores up and down the road in anticipation of spending a lot of money in as many of them as possible.

"So… " said Marisol, antsy with excitement. "Where do we go first?"

"Um… " Briallen looked down at the list of supplies in her hand. "Well, I need a new set of collapsible scales, also parchment, ink, and then of course, we need our new books… and then Ollie's, the pet store, and Gambol & Japes?"

"You need a new set of scales? What happened to your old set?"

"My little cousin, Holly, decided to see how many cook books it could hold. If you'd like to know the answer, it's seven. Then the scales break."

"That's why I'm glad all my relatives are either _way_ down south or in Puerto Rico, and _we_ visit _them_." Marisol and Briallen began to walk down the street to Verudite Junction, to pick up their books.

Out of nowhere, a man in a dusty brown tailcoat, very much in a hurry, ran between Marisol and Briallen, shoving them both to the side. "Merlin's beard! _Excuse_ _me, Mister_! You trying to be rude or something?"

Briallen looked over her shoulder at the messy old man that had cut between her and her friend, and sneered at his rudeness, before turning back to Marisol to continue their conversation. "We don't really have a choice. Pretty much all of my relatives are in Virginia and they visit with us all the time."

"Maybe it's because your dad's so cute," said Marisol in a dreamy voice. Marisol had only ever seen pictures of Will Bevin but that was enough for her.

"Gross! Marisol, he's in his thirties! And he's my _dad_!"

Marisol shrugged and laughed as she pulled open the door to the bookstore. A sharp chime rang as the door opened, and was cut off when Marisol quickly pulled the door shut behind them. "I hate that sound, it reminds me of Moraima's lullaby clock," mumbled Marisol, before wandering off to a stack of books on the right, across from the front counter. Several more people entered the busy store, setting off the door chime, and Marisol winced each time.

Verudite Junction was a very large bookstore, but due to the amount of books and people inside, it felt very small. Some books were ordered neatly on the shelves, while others were placed haphazardly in wobbly, towering piles on the floor. In the back, at the end of each row of bookshelves, there was a small alcove with several pillows, inviting people to pick up a book, take a seat and relax. Also at the back of the store was a short, thin staircase leading to the second floor, which overlooked the first floor in some places, and held only school books.

Briallen loved everything about Verudite Junction, but her favorite part of it was on the second floor. While the stairs were in the back, if one went up the stairs and made their way back to the front of the store, they would suddenly come across a small space of open floor with pillows and cushions, right behind a few bookcases, and right in front of a large window that overlooked Habory Lane.

Wanting to get to that small nook as soon as possible, Briallen went to the front desk where a young woman sat reading the magazine, _The Witchy Woman_. As soon as she saw Briallen standing in front of her (which took nearly a full minute), she put the magazine down and jumped to her feet. "Oh, hello! I didn't see you there at first… what can I help you with?"

Without wasting any time, Briallen read off her list of books what she wanted. "I need Munin Mimir's newest runes dictionary, and _Elemental Magic: The Do's and Don't's of Controlling Nature_ by Breg Viridian and, uh, the level 2 spell-book for Bergamot."

The witch behind the front desk nodded and waved her wand. Seconds later, those three books landed on the desk. "Would you like to pay for them now or do you plan on looking around?"

"Looking around," said Briallen as she scooped the books into her arms and walked away, letting the witch at the front desk get back to her magazine. Briallen had planned on going straight upstairs to her favorite hidden corner to read a bit while she waited for Marisol, who was currently flipping through a book on love spells, when she saw on display a new book about dragons, her favorite magical animal.

_I suppose I could…_ thought Briallen, as she gazed longingly at _Deadly Dragons!_ by Virago Night. _I have plenty of money…_

She smiled, her decision made, and pulled a copy of _Deadly Dragons!_ off the display and added it to the pile in her arms before then wandering down the isle to see what other books had just been released. Two more caught her eye, a historical non-fiction account of a woman who befriended a unicorn, and a book that Briallen had been waiting for: _Quodpot Teams of the World_.

Briallen was now having some difficulty carrying all of her books. She went back to the front desk to pay for them, just so she could carry them in a bag enchanted with a Feather-Light Charm. The young woman behind the desk, not used to students want to buy so many books, shook Briallen's hand after giving her the change and asked her to please return as soon as possible.

Finally, once she let Marisol know where she would be, Briallen made her way to the back, went up the stairs and behind a bookcase, and then sat down in the small cozy nook in front of the window. She smiled as she looked down at all of the witches and wizards visiting Habory Lane that day, even recognizing a few of them. The view allowed her to see the right side of Habory Lane that led to the stores with darker inclinations, as well Gringotts, the wizarding bank, and Ollie's Old Fashioned Frozen Custard, which sat in the middle of a small park and where the line stretched past Gringotts' front doors.

"What are you doing?" whispered a voice from behind her.

Disrupted from her thoughts, Briallen's head snapped to the person who was speaking to her. "Lucan!" she said, genuinely surprised. "What are you doing here?"

The solemn-by-nature dark-haired boy sat down gingerly on a floor cushion across from Briallen. He was wearing, as always, somewhat formal dark slacks and a button-down shirt, neither of which were suited for sitting cross-legged on the floor, nor for a hot day. Then he noticed her staring at him, waiting for an answer. "Buying school supplies, just like you. You know, I've been in this store hundreds of times, but this is the first time I've ever noticed this sitting place."

"That's because it's a secret spot… and if you've never noticed it before now, then how did you find it?"

"I followed you," replied Lucan casually. Briallen snorted slightly, unsurprised. She had gotten used to being followed by the strange boy. "So I notice you've bought a copy of the new book for Spell-Working. What do you think? I'm looking forward to the blasting spells, myself."

"I'm not surprised. I think the portable flames look neat."

"And I'm not surprised either… What do you see in Hayden Van Vlerah?" asked Lucan, out of the blue.

Briallen was taken aback, not expecting such a question, though she knew she probably should have since he had a habit of asking sudden, unrelated questions. "He's nice? What do you even mean? Or, better yet, why do you even _care_?"

Lucan shrugged, acting as though he really didn't care. He picked a piece of lint off of his shirt and frowned at it. "Just curious is all. The Van Vlerahs are odd."

"You've already said this. And I _like_ odd."

Lucan looked Briallen in the eyes and leaned forward. "You like odd? You should meet the man who runs the clock-tower at school. I'm sure you'd love him."

"Briallen! I forgot you said – Lucan?" asked Marisol, more surprised than Briallen had been. Briallen had told Marisol all about her run-in with the Stone family at the faire, and so Briallen knew that Marisol's mind must be racing with possibilities of why Lucan was here, with her, now. "What are you doing here?"

Briallen noticed that Marisol sounded strangely hesitant all of a sudden, and almost frightened, instead of annoyed, as she usually was when she spoke to Lucan.

"I'm purchasing my new school books, Marisol." Without waiting for a response, he stood up, straightened out his pants, nodded a curt good-bye to the two girls and left them in the sitting room. Marisol looked unsure of what she wanted to do or say, and so the two of them followed Lucan downstairs. Marisol paid for her books quickly and they left Lucan roaming the store.

"What's wrong?" asked Briallen after she and Marisol had walked a few stores down from Verudite Junction. They had stopped in front of Gambol & Japes joke shop to look in the windows when Briallen could no longer hold back her question.

"Nothing. Hey – we should get some stink pellets and dungbombs! I'm sure the first years would love them, don't you think?"

"If you don't answer me now, I'm going to bring this up later, Marisol."

Marisol glanced at Briallen and frowned. She linked her arm through Briallen's arm. "And I'll tell you later, but right now we're in a good mood and we're having some fun. Come on, lets get us some toys we can use on the _new_ first years."

Briallen pretended to protest as her best friend dragged her into the joke shop, where Marisol quickly began filling her arms full of stink pellets, dungbombs, and other things that Briallen knew would get them both into plenty of trouble that year at Bergamot.


	5. The Darklight Duel

Chapter 5: The Bergamot Train

**Chapter 5: The Darklight Duel**

"Hey, that's Perdita and Brady back there!" said Marisol excitedly, as she watched Perdita Dogge and Brady Dolt disappear through a door a few yards away.

Marisol, Toby, and Briallen walked down the narrow hallway on one of the many cars of the Bergamot train, which was currently stopped at Chicago's Union Station. Marisol slid open the nearest compartment door and hopped happily inside where she proceeded to then dump the entire contents of her large purse onto one of the seats. After rifling through the mess, she proudly lifted a large dungbomb and showed it to Toby and Briallen. "I say we ring in another year at Bergamot with Perdita and Brady."

Toby shook his head. "The conductor will know, Marisol. Dungbombs leave a stench that's hard to get rid of… try a few stink pellets instead."

"Toby! You're supposed to be the good one," scolded Briallen, half-joking.

"But I don't like Perdita or Brady." Toby shrugged carelessly as he picked up a few of Marisol's stink pellets and strolled out of the compartment. A minute later, he returned with a smile on his face. "I think they might've seen me." He sat down and closed the compartment door just as Perdita, angry and red-faced, appeared outside the door's window.

Perdita slammed on the glass of the compartment's sliding door. "I'm telling Dante about this when I get to school, Davis! We'll see how happy you are then!" She gave the glass one more hard pound, screamed, and then stormed away back to her compartment.

"Somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed," said Toby, surprised by the reaction he had elicited from Perdita. He had never actually heard the gloomy, droopy-faced girl speak before, not even in the few classes they had together their first year. "That somebody also forgot that Dante is scared of Briallen, and that Briallen is my best friend."

"Why is Dante scared of Briallen?" asked Marisol as she popped a Tinking Toffee into her mouth. Her hair changed from its normal raven black to sunshine yellow, and then back to black again in the span of a few seconds.

"I don't know. Whatever she did to him and his friends on Halloween last year really scared him away." Toby turned to Briallen and tapped her on the knee. "What _did_ you do to him?"

"I made the room they were in hot as a sauna, and then locked him and his friends in it all night." At least, that's what she thought she did – she couldn't be sure since she had cast the first spell that came to mind, which just happened to be one she'd read in a book.

"So that's what you meant when you said you turned him into a great big, wrinkly prune… You should do that again. Just to remind him."

Briallen rolled her eyes. She had been so angry at Dante at the time that she had hardly been thinking straight, not to mention that was the same night she'd been put into a coma by Miss Winsome, her evil former Flying instructor. Reflecting on her actions that night, she almost felt embarrassed by her lack of control over her emotions. She mumbled, "I can't even remember the spell anymore. It was something I'd just read in some book, I'm surprised it even worked."

"You know, you can be really scary when you're angry," mentioned Toby, off-handed, with a tone of what Briallen thought might be slight admiration.

"I like riding trains… " said Briallen with faux cheer, avoiding the topic. She looked out the window at the people on the platform. The bullet-nosed train for the Lambency Beacon Academy of Magic was just pulling in and a large group of parents, and students, many of whom wore pine-green button-down shirts and khaki pants, began assembling on its platform. Briallen briefly wondered what their school was like, and if it was very different from Bergamot. She sometimes doubted her choice of schools.

Marisol shook her finger at her friend, grinning. "You're changing the topic."

"Of course I am."

Toby shoved the contents of Marisol's purse to the side and sat down before going through the clutter and taking a Chocolate Frog. "I'm just glad I'm your friend!"

"Hey, that's mine!" Marisol whined.

"Sharing is caring, as my mom says," said Toby as he opened the Chocolate Frog, caught it mid-leap, and shoved it whole into his mouth. While still loudly chewing on the chocolate, he removed the card from inside the box and looked at it. Marisol snatched it out of his hands quickly and then gasped.

"Caspian Everard! I didn't know they were putting him on the cards already! Oh! I bet I'm one of the first to get him!" She smiled arrogantly and waved it in front of Toby and Briallen. "Limited edition, you know!"

"No, I don't know. Let me see," Briallen said as she reached for the card. Marisol handed it to her hesitantly. Briallen knew Marisol took her Chocolate Frog card collection unusually seriously, but the name Caspian Everard rang a bell in Briallen's memory: she knew he was Minister of Magic, but she also remembered Lucan mentioning that he idolized the man. She read aloud, "Caspian Everard: 1898 to present. Current Minister of Magic for the United States of America, elected by an electoral landslide. Was named hero of the Great Lakes War of 1934, and is credited as the main contributor to the modern American… _Werewolf Registry_?" Briallen angrily tossed the card back to Marisol just as their train began to move out of the station. "That's terrible!"

Marisol and Toby looked at each other knowingly. They knew that if they attempted to engage Briallen in conversation right now she would go off ranting about the Werewolf Registry and how unfair it was, just as she had in many of the letters she had sent them that summer, and one two-hour tirade she had gone off on at Marisol's house when they all spent the weekend together. They had learned by now that so long as they did not speak to Briallen, or mention anything about werewolves or Gavin Ellison for at least an hour, she would cool down silently on her own.

It was a few hours later, just as the Bergamot train crossed into Kentucky, that the storm began. The sky darkened almost instantly, and rain poured heavily over the train as lightening flashed in the sky and thunder shook the train cars. Briallen, who had been absorbed in reading her new book, _Deadly Dragons!_, looked up from her current page just as the compartment and hallway lights switched on.

"'Bout time," muttered Toby, before continuing to try to transfigure a snuffbox into a mouse. It was something they had been taught in Transfiguration the year before, but Toby had yet to be able to do it correctly. He waved his long, white wand sharply at the snuffbox, and said the spell, but nothing happened. Marisol coughed lightly as her head rolled onto Toby's shoulder. Marisol's straight hair looked alive with static and the red ribbon wrapped around her head had come partially undone, from rolling from the seat to Toby's shoulder too many times. She had been asleep for only an hour, but not even the thunder outside was able to wake her just then. Toby pushed her head away but seconds later it was back on his shoulder. With a sigh of resignation, he left her there.

Briallen smiled at her friends, and then glanced out the window just as a lightening bolt struck a tree just a yards away. A shower of sparks flew from where the lightening bolt struck and then the tree fell over. Briallen could have sworn that she felt the train shake from the impact the tree made when it hit the ground, even though it was not a very large tree.

"Did you feel that?" asked Briallen, putting a book mark in her book. She set it on the empty seat beside her and stood up.

Toby didn't look up from the snuffbox. "Feel what?"

"The train shake. Just a few seconds ago."

He grunted. "Probably just a bump in the tracks… why won't this stupid thing turn into a mouse?" He swung his wand violently at the snuffbox and then suddenly there was a puff of smoke, and the snuffbox had legs and a tail and began to move. "Oh, great. Now what am I going to do with a mobile snuffbox?"

"Give it to somebody who's trying to quit chewing?" suggested Briallen, watching with amusement as the snuffbox scuttled around on Toby's leg. Toby, even though he was upset by his failure, couldn't help but chuckle.

Then Briallen felt again what she had felt when the tree had fallen. "There it was again! Did you feel it this time? Like… like a vibration or something?"

"Like when someone has their music on too loud or when you see a movie at the theater and it has a lot of explosions…" said Toby, nodding in agreement. "I don't know where it came from, though. That can't be thunder, can it?"

"I'm going to go see if anybody in any of the other compartments felt it or know what it is."

"Bored?"

Briallen stuck her tongue at Toby as she exited the compartment. The door slid shut loudly behind her, and caused an uneasy tingle to crawl down her spine. The hallway was abnormally quiet, with all of the kids now in the train compartments, and aside from the thunder and the muffled roar of the moving train, nothing out of the ordinary could be heard. Briallen walked to the compartment next to hers and opened the door. Inside were four short kids, two boys and two girls. To Briallen, they looked no older than nine or ten. She suspected them to be first year students.

"Hey, did any of you feel that weird vibration a few minutes back?" asked Briallen as she looked them over. The kids all looked at each other, not sure of what to say. For an uncomfortable length of time, Briallen stared at them, waiting for a response, and when it became obvious that she would not get one, she rolled her eyes, shut the door, and moved on to the next compartment.

"Hello," said Briallen in her best imitation of a giddy airplane stewardess. "I'm Briallen, and I'm in a compartment just down the hall. I was wondering if you felt a weird vibration a few minutes ago."

"Briallen? As in Dean Bevin's granddaughter? I've seen you 'round school. You get in a lot of trouble, don't you?" asked a teenaged boy with an runner's build and a buzzed head, in a way that suggested he already knew the answer to his question. He was sitting slouched in his seat, his legs apart and his hands behind his head, giving off the air of someone who definitely thought very highly of himself.

"Maybe – who wants to know?" asked Briallen suspiciously as she looked over the boy, and his two male friends. Nobody had put on their school uniforms yet and so she had no way of knowing who they were or whether or not they were friendly.

The boy with the runner's build held out his hand. "Julian Hawkins – fast as a hawk Hawkins, that is – Platt Quidditch Captain, Seeker, and brand-spanking-new prefect."

Briallen hesitated and then shook his hand, if only to humor him, because his fast talking made her uneasy. He reminded her of those charismatic salesmen from late-night infomercials – she'd always thought they were just over-acting, but after meeting Julian, she wasn't so sure. "You seem awfully small to be on the Quidditch team."

Julian barked out a laugh and, oddly, rubbed his head, before responding, "And you seem awfully young to be wandering this train all by your lonesome."

"I'll have you know, I fought three werewolves and a hag three months ago and survived to tell about it! I think I'll be just fine 'wandering this train' by myself," retorted Briallen defensively, her chin in the air. She was sick of wasting her time with these boys who were obviously bored and looking to use her to entertain themselves. "Now, did you feel the vibration or not?"

"Just as feisty as Stone says," mumbled one of the other boys with a guffaw. Now that she knew who Julian was, she recognized this other boy as one of Hayden's classmates.

Briallen turned to the boy and put her hands on her hips. "Excuse me?"

"Ignore him, he's been hit in the head with a Bludger one too many times," said Julian with a sharp, playful smile. "And yes, we did feel the vibration you're talking about. We were actually talking about it right before you came in. Why don't you join us for a bit longer? Maybe we'll come up with an answer together."

Wrinkling her nose, Briallen shook her head. "No thanks, I'm going back to my friends." She turned to leave the boys' compartment.

"Try asking the kid in the first compartment in the next car," suggested Julian right before Briallen shut the door behind her and cut him off. She shook her head as she walked to the next compartment. She could still hear their sharp, hyena-like laughter. The next compartment had its shades down, and Briallen took that as a sign that whoever was inside did not want to be disturbed, and so she moved on and found herself at the end of the train car.

Once she was in the next train car she went immediately to the first compartment, the one that Julian suggested she go to, and frowned when she saw that whoever was inside had pulled down their shades as well. With a careless shrug, Briallen slid open the door and saw a boy with dark hair and eyes, reading a book, and sitting by himself. His surprise at seeing Briallen in his compartment was evident. "…uh, Briallen?"

Briallen closed her eyes, and then pinched her arm before opening them again, only to see that the boy was still there. In a state of disbelief, she shut the door and sat down next to the boy. "Lucan? What on earth are _you_ doing on _this_ train?"

He stared at her, caught off guard, and then regained his composure and responded icily, "I'm on my way to school, of course."

"Well, yes, I know that. But what are you doing _here_. Where do you even live? Not around here, I thought…"

Lucan shifted in his seat. Briallen was very close to him and was still staring at him in disbelief. He was having a difficult time trying to act unconcerned, as he was just as shocked by her unexpected presence on the train. "I live in Vermont but I spent the last few days at a relative's house in Michigan, so I took the train out of Chicago instead of New York. _You_ live in Virginia, though, I know that – so what are _you_ doing on this train?"

"I was visiting with Marisol… this is just too weird, how we keep running into each other."

"I agree," said Lucan. Just then the lights went out and another vibration swept over the train. Briallen yelped in surprise, moved closer to Lucan and clutched a handful of his black slacks. "Briallen, did you feel that? Did you feel the shaking?"

"Yeah, I mean, yes. That's why I'm here. I was going around asking everybody if

they felt the vibrations earlier and if they knew what it was because, well, because I'm bored," whispered Briallen, looking out the window at the dark sky. "Do you know what's causing them?"

"Some sort of power surge, I would guess."

"Like an electrical power surge? I thought witches and wizards didn't use electricity? We light things with magic don't we?"

"That's what I meant," whispered Lucan, his breath heavy in the darkness, "a magic surge. Some older students might be fighting a few cars back and we're getting the tremors, except they would have to be using some powerful magic, or… "

"Or something dangerous is happening?"

"Or we're just in a very… in a very powerful magical location and their magic plus where we are, is causing the energy surges."

"Or maybe there's a dark wizard standing right outside our door?" whispered Briallen fearfully, as both of them looked to the shadow on the shade that was drawn over the door's window. Lucan defensively wrapped one arm around Briallen and with the other he held his wand out, ready to blast away whoever was there. The door opened and screams were exchanged, until Lucan realized the smart thing to do would be to light his wand and see who was at the door.

"When the power went out we thought we should go looking for you and oh, my, Briallen, _what_ _are you doing_?" asked Marisol, her jaw dropped as she took in the sight of Briallen practically sitting on Lucan's lap, and Lucan with his arm around her. Toby stood next to Marisol, scowling at Lucan. Even though it had been Lucan who had helped knock most of the werewolves unconscious during their adventure in the north wood, Toby still didn't like or trust him.

"I was scared out of my mind, that's what!" said Briallen quickly, jumping off of Lucan. "I thought you were an evil, dark wizard come to kill me!" Briallen punched Marisol in the shoulder and was about to shout at her again when she noticed something, something small, but bizarre, which made it stand out in an already bizarre situation: Marisol was wearing a pink ribbon in her hair instead of the red ribbon Briallen thought she had last seen her wearing. "Marisol, weren't you wearing a red ribbon earlier?"

Marisol raised her hand to her head, slightly confused. "I, um, I thought I was. Is it not red?"

"No, it's pink. But I remember you… or I mean… I don't know what I remember. I'm so confused." Something strange was happening on the train, and Briallen knew it, she just couldn't make sense of the situation and articulate her thoughts on it, so that she could explain it to her friends. And, for some reason, the strange letter she received back in Dustum sprang to mind just then, and for one brief moment, Briallen wondered if the letter and Marisol's ribbon were connected.

She laughed at herself and shook her head as she thought, _You're just being paranoid, Briallen. Miss Winsome is dead, there are no werewolves on the train, and there is no one out to get you…_

Lucan looked at Briallen, concerned, which Briallen also thought was odd. Toby just rolled his eyes and said, "So what? Who cares about Marisol's ribbon? Let's go back to our own compartment now, Briallen."

"She can stay here if she wants," snapped Lucan.

"Just because you keep popping up around us all the time, and stalk Briallen, that doesn't mean you're our friend!" fumed Toby. He raised his wand as if he were about to attack Lucan, who had raised his own wand in retaliation. The two boys were glowering at each other with such intensity that Briallen and Marisol instinctually backed away from them and out of the line of fire.

"If you raise your wand at me, Davis, you had better plan to use it," whispered Lucan through clenched teeth. His head was down and his shoulders hunched, like a bull ready to charge. His threat, which came off more like an invitation, only seemed to fuel Toby's anger towards him.

All at once, Lucan and Toby shouted a series of hexes and jinxes, and the train car, previously darkened by lack of working lamps, was suddenly lit up in a spectrum of colorful lights and sparks. Their spell-throwing provided just enough light for the spectators to see bits and pieces of the spell effects. The show was over not long after it began. There was a barely detectable scent of smoke, like a sparkler that has just been put out. Unable to see much of anything, both Briallen and Marisol lit their wands and examined the damage.

Lucan was hunched over one the seats in the compartment, his hands on his buttocks, which were making a loud clapping sound. He also had flowering vines growing out his nose, and his ears were many times larger than normal. Toby, on the other hand, was sprawled supine in the train car's hallway and looked almost unrecognizable. He was twice as large as normal, bright purple, and oozing a green slime out of all of his visible orifices. Marisol gagged and covered her mouth in an effort to keep from vomiting as she kneeled next to Toby and cradled his head in her lap.

More proof of something strange going on – that's how Briallen viewed the current situation. She knew Toby well; she knew that he wasn't the sort of person to just start hexing people when angry. He was Muggle-raised, and still unfamiliar with fighting with magic; when he got angry, he pouted and shouted, and occasionally threw a punch, not a curse.

Marisol was babbling now, though Briallen was so involved in her thoughts that she only caught the last half of what her friend was saying. "And what's wrong with them?! Cursing each other on the train?!" screeched Marisol, waving her hands wildly as she spoke.

"It's the weather," mumbled Briallen. "It's making everybody a little crazy…"

"That is no excuse!" shouted a train attendant who had just entered the car. The noise of Lucan's and Toby's duel had attracted the attention of the kids in the rest of the compartments and many of them were now in the hallway as well. One of them apparently had gone for help. "We're about to stop in Memphis – we'll call a Healer there, and I'm contacting your school when we get The Village!"

The attendant pushed Marisol away from Toby so that he could pick him up and drag him into the compartment with Lucan. He then locked the door and turned to Briallen and Marisol to address them. "Your friends will be let out in Memphis. Until then, they're to stay in there. You two go back to your compartment."

"But we can't just leave them in there!" argued Marisol.

"It's only another ten minutes! I'm sure they'll live," grumbled the attendant. With that, he walked away from Marisol and began herding the kids in the hallway back into their compartments.

Briallen put an arm around her friend and gently began to lead her back to their own compartment. "They'll be alright, Marisol," consoled Briallen.

"I'm only concerned about Toby! What in Merlin's lab did Lucan do to him? You saw what he did to him, didn't you?"

"Toby got him too."

"Not as bad! So he's got big ears and some vines up his nose… he's not swollen and excreting puss! It's disgusting!"

"It's the weather, Marisol, it's making everyone cranky," repeated Briallen, only half believing it herself.

"You keep saying that, but it's ridiculous! People don't just go crazy when it gets icky outside!"

Of course Marisol was right, and Briallen knew it. There was something more than the weather. There were little things that were off, like Marisol's ribbon changing color. But there was something else, something Briallen couldn't quite put her finger on…

They sat back down in their seats where Marisol dropped her head in her hands and began to cry. Briallen, watched her overly emotional friend, confused by the extreme reaction. "The school year hasn't even began yet and we're already in trouble!" blubbered Marisol. "My parents are going to kill me!"

Briallen shook her head and leaned closer to her friend. "Now you're being ridiculous! You're parents aren't going to kill you… we didn't have anything to do with what happened back there, and I really don't think we'll get in any trouble."

"Toby's been acting strange, ever since the north wood. Maybe, do you think, when he hit his head, like something, like something might've happened to him or something," cried Marisol somewhat incoherently.

Briallen pat Marisol on the back and reached into her pile of goodies, still spread out on the seat, for a piece of candy to cheer her up. She grabbed a handful of the mess and dropped it in her lap. She found a Tinking Toffee and unwrapped it and gave it to Marisol. Still crying, Marisol popped the candy in her mouth and looked at her reflection in the mirror to see what color her hair turned. Briallen looked back down at the sweets in her lap for another piece of candy.

That was when she noticed it. Small and inconspicuous, but unmistakable – a folded piece of parchment with Briallen's name written on it in the same narrow, loopy hand-writing as the mysterious letter she got back in Dustum, only a few weeks ago. After a quick glance at Marisol, to make sure she wasn't be watched, Briallen slid the note discreetly into her jeans pocket, and then resumed consoling her friend.


	6. A Kiss and Click

Chapter 6: A Kiss and Click

**Chapter 6: A Kiss and Click**

The Healer they met in Memphis was a good-natured old woman with a friendly southern accent and a silly sense of humor. She spent a good five minutes laughing at Lucan and the fact he'd had a Butt-Clap Curse cast on him, saying, "I haven't seen one of these since I was a school-girl! Oh, Mungo-all-Mighty, you've made my day young fella!"

Lucan didn't find the situation quite as humorous and once she'd fixed him up, he grabbed his things and disappeared, scowling at them all as he left. Toby wasn't in a good mood either once the Healer fixed him, and she didn't find his ailments as funny as Lucan's. She mumbled about how the other boy had "done some right evil on this poor fella." She gave them each an apple before she left, and then the train attendant demanded they not leave their compartment for the remainder of their trip.

And so the rest of their ride to Bergamot was uneventful. They changed into their school robes, played simple, non-magical, card games, and ate more of Marisol's candy; Briallen forgot about her mysterious note, still in her jeans' pocket, which were now in her trunk, and Toby, for the moment, forgot about Lucan.

Luckily, the wild storm they had passed through in Kentucky and Tennessee didn't follow them to The Village, and when they finally arrived at their destination there wasn't a cloud in the twilight sky. While the land was dry, however, the air felt hot and damp. The moment Briallen stepped off the train, the humidity hit her like a bucket of water. She was annoyed when after only minutes outside her clothes clung and had dark spots of sweat all over.

"Ew, it is so muggy out!" Briallen overheard one girl tell another girl on the train station platform.

"It ain't muggy at all. What your feeling is the pressing heat of magic… some mighty, mighty magic been going on," muttered Mr Eldred, the Bergamot groundskeeper, who had suddenly appeared on the platform with a large oil lantern.

"Do you know what sort of magic would do this?" Briallen asked the old man.

"Not quite sure. It had to have been powerful, though, to press on all us like it is… bit strange, really. I only remember this happening once before, a long, long time ago… But, no matter! That magic ain't affectin' us!" With his last word, Mr Eldred began moving towards the docks, shouting all the while for the first years to follow him. All of the other students went to the curb of Caravan Road where there were a great many horseless carriages waiting to take all of the students in second year and above to Bergamot.

Marisol, Briallen and Toby hopped in a carriage with a Summerbee, Shane Stanton, who they knew from classes. Marisol had invited him to join them, obviously hoping to get to know the adorably shy boy better, but they were all quiet on the ride to the castle. Briallen felt as if she were suffocating due to the 'press of magic,' as Mr Eldred called it, and everyone else appeared to feel the same thing. It was like being in a Laundromat with all of the dryers, after simultaneously finishing their loads, open all at once – it was that hot, suffocating heat that made one gasp for cool, crisp autumn air. When they finally arrived at the castle and walked through the front doors, though, the press of magic dissipated and everybody could finally breathe normally.

"That was… the strangest thing I've ever felt," mumbled Marisol and she, Briallen, Toby, and Shane made their way to the dining hall with the mass of other students who had also just arrived at the school. Everybody was in a bad mood now and Briallen wondered if it was the train ride or the weather that had ruined everyone's day.

They entered the dining hall to see that there were already many students there, having arrived from nearer locations and off of other trains from other cities. She looked around for the Price sisters and when she saw them, she waved happily. They waved back. She then searched for Gavin Ellison, who wasn't sitting with Kara, hoping that the rumors about how he might not return to Bergamot were untrue. He wasn't there, so far as she could tell. With a frown, Briallen trudged to the Withers table and took a seat in her usual spot between Toby and Benjamin Beauvais.

"Ready for some real practice?" asked Benjamin once Briallen had sat down. It took her a moment to realize he was talking about flying, and about training her for Quodpot. Preoccupied with the strange weather, and what had happened on the train, she had almost forgotten she planned to try out for her house's Quodpot team that year.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. You know, I practiced in between your visits too. Though the essays I had to do this summer took up a lot of time of my spare time. I had five essays! It's so weird having summer homework."

"Just thank your lucky stars you're only a second year. The older you get, the more they assign, especially the summer between forth and fifth because of O.W.L.s. And I've heard that the homework load between sixth and seventh year has, literally, driven some students insane."

"Way to make her feel better, Beauvais," said Ava Hudson, a Wenlock prefect, from her seat directly behind Benjamin at the Wenlock table. The summer months had done nothing to remove any of the extra weight that Ava carried, though Briallen thought she somehow looked more womanly and more confident than the year before.

Benjamin winked and blew her a kiss. Ava smiled, tossed her hair and turned back to her friends. Briallen looked back and forth between Benjamin and Ava. She had the impression last year that he and Mindy Price were in a relationship and she couldn't help but wonder now if that was just because of his flirtatious personality. Benjamin wasn't conventionally attractive but he was friendly and funny and made friends easily, particularly with the girls of Bergamot. "You know, I think that's why so many girls have a crush on you. You shouldn't do that."

"What?" asked Benjamin innocently, but with a very large, and very knowing, smile.

"Half the girls in school want to marry you," explained Briallen, exaggerating only slightly. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, as a wave of exhaustion suddenly washed over her. The day had been stressful and uncomfortable, and while she joked around with her friends, she was ready to go to sleep.

"Do _you_ want to marry me too?" teased Benjamin.

"No. I don't think I'll ever marry," said Briallen with a depressed sigh, not playing with his joke. She threw a quick look back at the Wenlock table to see Hayden Van Vlerah wave giddily to her. She waved back, and a goofy smile spread across his face.

"What about your boyfriend over there?"

"He's not my boyfriend… we just… enjoy each other's company is all."

"Really? Because he's been staring moon-eyed at you ever since you walked through the hall doors," said Benjamin as he shook his head and laughed. "That's about the age I started noticing girls too… about half-way through third year. I had this sudden thing for Susie Cooper. She was in seventh year at the time, in our house, and Head Girl. She was also Captain of our Quidditch team. Merlin, was she perfect. I wonder what she's doing now… " Benjamin immediately forgot all about Briallen and gazed away, day-dreaming of his first crush, Susie Cooper.

Conall Lonigan, sitting opposite of Benjamin, grumbled something and then spoke to Briallen. "That's the worst distraction there is. You can't be making googly-eyes at someone in the stands when you've got a Quod in your hands."

Briallen, with a brow raised, nodded, though she had a feeling his comment was meant for Benjamin and not herself. He had been glaring at Benjamin ever since his flirtatious exchange with Ava.

"Did I really just hear you're dating Hayden Van Vlerah?" asked Chante Nguyen, sounding uncharacteristically excited, as she sat down across from Briallen and next to Conall. Conall sneered at the airy girl and turned away from her, though she took no notice of his snub.

Briallen shrugged nonchalantly but secretly she was upset that Chante, the princess of gossip (second only to Tinna, who she unofficially apprenticed), had overheard her conversation with Benjamin. She wasn't sure what her relationship with Hayden was just yet, was confused about what she wanted it to be, and she didn't want anybody but Marisol knowing about it until she was sure that she and Hayden were or were not dating. And she was far too tired just then to deal with Chante's intrusive questions. She decided to try and play it off as a joke. "Maybe."

Chante looked Briallen straight in the eye and then burst into giggles, which was unlike her. She apparently hadn't gotten the joke. She stood and went straight to Kimmy Moseley, who was waiting for her a few plates down. From Kimmy, the news managed to spread all the way to Hayden. Briallen watched it all happen as if it were in slow motion, as one kid whispered to another and another, and it hopped tables to even more ears. When the news finally did reach Hayden, she saw the surprise on his face, which quickly morphed into relief, and then to pure giddiness. He wore the same stupid grin he had that day on the Ferris-wheel after he had first kissed her and Briallen had not punched him in the nose in return.

Briallen also found herself relieved that the question was settled, which surprised her. Hayden was obviously happy to call himself her boyfriend and she, surprisingly, realized she didn't mind calling herself his girlfriend. She had been preoccupied with him since their date at the faire, and it felt good to her to know that they were, quite simply, now dating. She just hoped her mother didn't somehow find out or, even worse, her father, who would surely blow a fuse when he heard his little girl was not only dating a boy, but a boy who was a _wizard_.

"Welcome, students, to another year at Bergamot Academy for the Magically Gifted!" announced a familiar voice. Briallen looked up to see her grandfather, the Dean of Bergamot, standing in front of the teachers' table at a podium. "We all hope that this year is filled with wonder and adventure, but lacks the danger of previous year." Cal Bevin grew solemn and spoke more seriously as he continued, "What happened last year was, hopefully, a solitary tragedy, and we will strive to make Bergamot an even safer place, for it served as a lesson to us all. We are all still young – yes, even I – and so we must keep in mind that our years could be taken from us quite suddenly and we must live each day to its fullest. Forget all quarrels and prejudice, and be thankful for what we do have… but I am getting ahead of myself. Let the sorting begin!"

Mr Eldred led the new group of first years into the dining hall and he repeated what Miss Winsome had said the year before. With a silent spell, the sorting staff appeared and stood on its own between the students' tables and the teachers' table. He then began to call names. Briallen watched, semi-interested and semi-fascinated, but found that her mind kept roaming back to what her grandfather had said.

"DUEZ, ROXANA! … WENLOCK!"

_Our years could be take from us suddenly… but how are we supposed to live each day to the fullest when we have homework and exams and grades to worry about? Wouldn't living each day to its fullest mean doing whatever you wanted?_ thought Briallen, her brow furrowed. She had lived like that the year before and it had only brought her danger and trouble. What she had learned is that the best thing to do was to do what everybody else did and follow all the rules. She was determined this year to show her grandfather and her professors that she was a good student and a good kid.

"JEMISON, SCOTT! … ALMERICK!"

_Maybe living each day to its fullest means doing what's best for us, like our homework and studying, and spending time with friends, and having hobbies? I'll have to talk to grandpa later…_

"VANCIL, DOSH! ... WITHERS!"

Briallen was surprised when food suddenly appeared on her plate. She didn't remember the sorting ending or her grandfather's closing speech.

"Earth to Briallen," said a girl's voice. A chicken leg was swung back and forth in front of her eyes. Briallen waved it away and looked up to see Noelle Dugan sitting across from her now, and eating the chicken leg she had been swinging in front of Briallen. "I was saying what a weird name that boy has." Noelle chuckled. "_Dosh_."

"You know, waving stuff like that in front of people's eye can hypnotize them," said Briallen.

"I've never heard of somebody being hypnotized by a chicken leg… clocks and quills and gemstones, sure, but never chicken legs. I think the smell would be distracting, don't you?" Noelle took another bite of the chicken leg as Briallen burst out laughing, along with all those sitting around Noelle who had heard what she had said. "So, Briallen, Chante is telling everybody that you're dating Hayden. I think he's perfect for you: you're both very strange." She licked her fingers.

"I suppose," mused Briallen, "but we're not really _dating_ yet. Not officially or anything. I mean, we hang out and stuff, and we wrote to each other over the summer, and sometimes we hold hands, and he kissed me once, but… actually, yeah, I guess we are really dating, aren't we?"

Noelle raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like it to me… That is the sort of stuff people do when they date, right?" Briallen wasn't sure, so she shrugged.

"And a bit more," said Benjamin suddenly. "Some of it more fun and some of it less fun." Then he looked at Briallen as if he were about to scold her. "But you're too young for most of that stuff. Boys are bad news – remember that."

Toby, silent until now, scrunched his nose in disgust. "I have better things to do than date girls."

"Like hang out with them everyday?" asked Briallen, looking pointedly at Toby.

"You know what I mean."

Briallen laughed and nodded. "Yeah… That's how I feel most of the time, but with Hayden… it's different. He blushes every time I smile at him, and that makes me feel good." The more she spoke of him, the easier she found it to be.

"It's because you're in control," muttered Conall. He was glaring at the mashed potatoes on his plate, and even though he added something to their conversation, he was clearly thinking about somebody else. Briallen wondered if he had any distractions of his own, though she couldn't think of anyone who would want to distract him in that way. He was intimidating normally and she couldn't imagine how intense he would be as a boyfriend.

"I suppose," replied Briallen, absent-minded. She was already over talking about boys and ready to move on. "Hey, Conall, did Benjamin tell you that I'm trying out for the team this year? He's been training me all summer and I've been practicing on my own too."

Conall grunted and nodded, before shoving an entire dinner roll in his mouth. Aolani Kanaka, who sat next from him, stared in disgust as he began speaking with most of the dinner roll still in his mouth. "If you plan on staying as small as you are, you'd better be fast then."

Briallen looked down at herself, and frowned. She still hadn't had a real growth spurt yet and was one of the shortest in her class now. "I'm still growing… Do you think I have a chance, though, Conall? Since we're friends and everything?"

"We'll see how you are at try-outs next Friday. And I don't play favorites."

Benjamin leaned towards Briallen and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll help you train some more these next two weeks."

"Thanks," said Briallen, sighing in relief. She knew she wasn't nearly as good as any of the other students on the team, but she felt she had a decent chance at making the team with Benjamin helping her. She remembered what her grandfather had said last year about the discipline required to play a sport, which was the only reason her parents approved of her trying out for the team in the first place (especially since they still didn't really know what the sport involved, as Briallen had carefully skirted around explaining the fact the ball explodes if held too long).

Briallen spent the rest of dinner chatting with Benjamin about Quodpot. She wanted him to take her to a game during winter break so that she could see the professionals play, but Benjamin explained that had to work for his dad at Whizzhard Books, all the way in Habory Lane, over the holiday and he wasn't sure he'd have the time to go to a game. That made Briallen angry, and being angry made her even sleepier.

Soon, students began filtering out of the dining room, making their way to their dorm rooms for a good night's sleep after an dreary day. Briallen said goodnight to her friends, who had decided to stay a little longer, and left the dining hall. She made a quick trip to the bathroom under the grand stairs in the entrance hall to wash her hands, and as she was coming out, Hayden popped out in front of her, causing her to scream.

"Sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" said Hayden, worried that he had made her angry. Nervous, he kissed her quickly on her cheek and then stepped away.

She resisted the urge to wipe her cheek where he had kissed her as she mumbled, "It's okay, just… say something next time so I know you're there."

"I will," agreed Hayden, smiling. "Um… I was wondering if I could, maybe, walk you to your common room?"

This time, Briallen couldn't help herself from blushing and giggling just a little bit. She nodded and let Hayden hold her hand as they walked up the stairs to the portrait hall.

"You could've stayed with your friends, you know," said Briallen. She tucked her hair behind her ears, suddenly wishing she had checked it in the mirror before she left the bathroom.

"I know, but… boyfriends are supposed to walk their girlfriends to their door." He paused and gulped. "Um, we are…"

"Yeah, I suppose," said Briallen, answering his question before he even asked it.

"Oh, okay – good." He laughed lightly, embarrassed, as they stepped onto the fourth floor landing and stood in front of the portrait of Sir Lawrence of Woodcroft. "So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

Briallen stared at the floor and nodded shyly. Her cheeks hurt from smiling so much, but she couldn't stop. Hayden kissed her on her cheek again, said goodnight, and tripped as he went up the stairs on his way to his own dormitory. They both laughed nervously and waved good-bye a few more times before Hayden finally disappeared down a hallway.

Briallen turned to the portrait of Sir Lawrence, and only then did she realize she didn't know this semester's password. Irritated by her forgetfulness, Briallen turned around to return to the dining hall and ask Benjamin the new password. She had just stepped onto a staircase that was changing its position when she heard a strange clicking noise below her. She looked over the stair's railing. On the bottom floor of the portrait hall was a sort of communal common room, with doors on opposite walls that led to the north and south courtyards. Normally, those doors were locked during dinner, but Briallen could see one of the north courtyard doors was swung wide open.

Curious, and not sensing any danger, Briallen went down the stairs, passed the armor-lined hallway, went down another flight of stairs, and walked innocently to the open door. It was dark outside and the moon was dim, hardly providing enough light for her to see the north courtyard clearly. She had only been in the north courtyard a few times, for class, or passing through it to the Administration offices. Normally, she preferred playing in the south courtyard, which was larger and didn't have any of the creepy statues that randomly populated the north courtyard.

The wind rustled, but the clicking noise had disappeared. She took a step outside.

"Detention!" shouted a deep, booming voice from above her. Briallen pivoted towards the sound and rolled her eyes when she saw Professor Stalkes pointing at her from the staircase. Just then she heard another strange sound, almost like giggling, come from the courtyard behind her. She didn't have time to investigate it just then, however, as Professor Stalkes marched down the steps, pulled her inside, and shut the door. "A detention on your first day back; I think your grandfather would like to hear of this."

"I didn't do anything!" argued Briallen. "The door was open when I got here – I was just investigating–"

"Investigating? Making more trouble is more like it. You can explain yourself to the Dean," snapped Professor Stalkes as he led Briallen up the stairs by her arm.

He marched her into the dining hall and everybody turned to watch as they approached Dean Bevin. Cal looked up from his dinner and smiled at Professor Stalkes and Briallen, who was still in the grumpy teacher's grasp. "Yes?"

"Your granddaughter broke open one of the courtyard doors. I caught her just as she was sneaking outside," sneered Professor Stalkes, looking at Briallen the whole time.

"He's lying! I didn't touch the door! It was open already and there was somebody else out there – I heard them laugh when Professor Stalkes yelled at me!"

"What were you doing by the courtyard doors in the first place, Briallen?" asked Cal. He didn't sound angry or disappointed, just curious. She knew by the tone of his voice that she wasn't in trouble and she calmed down greatly.

"I was going to bed but forgot to ask Benjamin for the password. So I was heading back and I heard this – this clicking noise down in the first floor common room so I went to see what it was. Like I said before, the door was open when I got there. I just thought some animal or something got into the school."

Cal nodded and stared at the goblet he held in his hands. "Let her go, Consus. You heard her – she was following the clicking."

Professor Stalkes frowned and let Briallen go. He clearly knew what Cal meant.


	7. Explosive Envy

Chapter 7: Explosive Envy

**Chapter 7: Explosive Envy**

The scent of sweat, leather, and hot grass permeated from the racks on the clapboard walls, and the canvas wheeled-carts that sat crookedly nearby. A variety of sports equipment from goggles to knee pads, and all other forms of padded protection, in every house's colors, were haphazardly strewn about the room. Large cauldrons, some brand-new and some covered in rusted holes, were stacked in one corner, while in another corner there were crates labeled with big, bold red letters that read, 'DANGEROUS – EXPLOSIVE QUODS,' on all sides. In the very center were two long, wooden benches where a group of kids were congregated, dressing themselves for the Withers Quodpot team try-outs.

"Hey, toss me a helmet, would you?" Rex Hampton said in Briallen's direction. He sat on a bench across from Briallen. She recognized him from last year's try-outs and as the boyfriend of Grace Daniels, a seventh year Platt whom Briallen despised. Briallen didn't say a word to him as she grabbed a helmet from the canvas cart behind her and tossed it to Rex. She was too concerned with herself to worry about Rex Hampton. Looking around her, she felt as if she were the youngest student trying out for the Withers Quodpot team that year. Everybody else was bigger and taller than her. Although she had practiced with Benjamin every single day for the past two weeks, she was both anxious and scared out of her mind.

She barely even remembered what she'd learned in her classes so far, she was so focused on succeeding at Quodpot. Her current obsession with the game even managed to drive out her preoccupation with the strange weather and noises and notes that seemed to be following her.

"I tried out last year but that damned Lonigan was playing favorites with Pierce and Rowe – you know he only chose them is because of who their fathers are. One's rich and one's famous – oh, real big surprise they're on the team! And I know for a fact that Kishori only made the team because she's pretty and Lonigan was looking for some side action," complained Rex to two very tall, very husky girls standing in front of him. "It didn't even work. He ended up having to downgrade to Ava Hudson. And did you hear she dumped him over the summer? He can't even keep a fatty as a girlfriend! He's such a loser."

Briallen wanted to curse Rex for talking about Conall and Ava like he did. She also wanted to tell Conall on him, but that was a desire she knew she'd never follow through with because it was something she believed a child would do, and this year she wanted to show everybody she was grown up, and was mature enough to handle problems like an adult.

"There are a bunch of slots and only twelve people are trying out this year so you have a better chance… last year there were only those three slots, no subs, and everyone and their mother tried for the team," replied one of the girls, trying, for some unknown reason, to comfort the arrogant fool.

"I'd better get a spot this year, and not as a substitute either. This is my last year and I need some filler on my Auror application."

Briallen snorted at hearing this, incredulous at the thought of Rex Hampton becoming an Auror. Rex looked back at her in mild annoyance, and then continued to ignore her. Briallen pulled on a pair of the thick brown gloves that every player wore just in case the Quod exploded while they still held it. She could barely move her fingers. The entire summer she had been practicing her catching and throwing without gloves, and now that she had them on, and she had limited mobility, she felt like crying because she knew she would play horribly with them on.

"Bevin, right?" Briallen looked up at the girl talking to her. She was tall and a bit chubby with light-brown skin, large round eyes and a very white smile. "You'd do best with some older gloves, if you aren't used to wearing them."

The girl handed Briallen an older pair of gloves with permanent creases due to age and frequent use. Briallen removed the gloves she was wearing and put on the older ones. She was able to flex her fingers in the old pair of gloves much better than in the new pair, but she still didn't have the same flexibility as she did without gloves. She felt a little better, though, knowing that not all of the people trying-out were out to get her.

"Uh, thanks… "

"Mele… I'm Aolani's little sister…"

"Oh, yeah – sorry! I've seen you in the common room a bunch of times. And you're one of Mindy's friends, right?"

"We get along alright, I suppose. Mostly we just do homework together and stuff. I practice with her sometimes and she suggested I try out because, apparently, I've gotten pretty good. I don't know, though. We'll see how it goes. Mindy says you've been training with Ben B. I've seen you both out on the field a lot these past few days."

Briallen sighed and nodded cheerlessly. "I know the game really well, and I'm good at throwing and catching and… and kind of good at moving side to side on my broom, but when it comes to going up and down or doing any sort of fancy maneuvers…"

Rex Hampton smirked at Briallen as he stood up. "If you can't control your broom then there's no way you'll make the team, and that increases my odds. Thanks a bunch, kid." He sarcastically tipped his head to her and walked out of the equipment room with an undeserved swagger.

"I hate him so much. Him and Grace Daniels are made for each other," said Mele venomously. "Hey – let's go get a few laps in before try-outs begin. I'll give you some pointers."

With a nod, Briallen followed Mele out to the pitch. It was the perfect day outside: the sun was shining bright, but not so bright where it would blind, and there was very little breeze, which meant there was no possibility of the wind knocking a broom off course. Also making the day better for Briallen were Marisol and Toby, who sat in the stands along with Ashley, Anthony Boesche, Dax Rieger, and Shane Stanton, who Briallen was sure was only there because Marisol asked him along. They all started hooting and whistling (except for Shane, who waved shyly) as soon as they saw Briallen. Her spirits lifted when she saw them.

Marisol hopped down from the stands, handed Briallen her broom, and said with a laugh, "You might need this, amiga – you forgot it at breakfast this morning! Buena suerte!"

"Thanks," mumbled Briallen, embarrassed that she'd forgotten something so integral to trying out Quodpot. "I definitely need some luck today… look at all these people! They're huge!" Briallen was staring wide-eyed at three incredibly large and intimidating young men standing beside the pitch comparing broomsticks.

"Only because they're all older kids. Looks like you're the only one under fourth year trying out today… but after last year's try-outs, I'm really not surprised. There's still time for you to change your mind and try out for the Quidditch team instead, you know. Luka is a much nicer Captain than Conall."

"Marisol… " said Briallen, warningly, as she mounted her broom. "You know I don't have a snowball's chance in Hell at making the Quidditch team."

"Fine. But you're going to get a lot of ugly bruises playing this game… Hayden will probably find you too disgusting to date afterwards."

Briallen stuck her tongue out at Marisol, and then shakily zoomed over to where Mele was waiting for her. The two girls did a few laps around the pitch, and Mele offered a few of her own tips on how not to plummet uncontrollably to the ground or zoom uncontrollably into the clouds. After a couple of minutes, a whistle sounded and everybody landed to form a line along the fence that wrapped around the pitch. Conall did the same as he had the year before and walked up and down the line of people, looking them over excruciatingly carefully. He stopped briefly in front of Briallen and a boy at the end of the line that she knew to be a fifth year. She wished she could read minds so that she knew what his pause meant for her.

"Everybody in the air! Wannabes against the team!" shouted Conall. Everyone hopped onto their brooms and went straight to the air. They played two whole periods, ending the practice game when halftime would normally begin.

Briallen felt like she played the worst she had ever played. There had been a couple of times when she and Rex Hampton bumped into each other, some times which she knew to be her fault, and others to be his. The Quod had exploded twice in her hands and luckily, since this was only a try-out session, she was not sent to the bench for it. There had been two instances of her nearly crashing into one of the Quidditch posts that were behind the cauldron she was supposed to be throwing the Quod into, and two instances of her falling off her broom, one in which she actually fell into the goal cauldron. The only thing she had managed to do well is miraculously score four points, which was more than anybody else who was trying out had scored. When Conall had them line up against the pitch fence for a final walk through Briallen had a bruised and bloody nose, a mysterious cut on her upper arm, a spasm in her hamstring, and was sweating tremendously.

Conall walked back and forth several times in front of the twelve people who had tried out that day and then went over to his team. They huddled together to make the final decision as to who they would allow on the team. After what seemed like forever to Briallen the huddle broke and Benjamin winked at her. She knew she made it and released a long sigh of relief.

"Well," said Conall as he stood in front of all of them. "We had a lot of good people try out this year. I recognize some of you from last year and I've seen some improvement, but… this try-out still wasn't anywhere near as good as I'd hoped, or expected." He shook his head as if he were ashamed of everybody that had tried-out. "We have five open spaces this year, one which is for a substitute, and _all_ of the decisions were difficult to make so I have just this to say: some of you are incredible lucky that you proved yourself to other members of this team before today because they fought for you."

Conall looked directly at Briallen, who blushed a deep scarlet.

"Enough of the yammering, Big Lonny, tell us who made it!" shouted a voice from the stands. Briallen was fairly sure that it was Dax who had shouted at him, since he was the only one brave enough to shout such a command at Conall or call him 'Big Lonny.' Conall glared at Briallen's friends in the stands.

"The following are the newest members of the Withers Quodpot team!" shouted Conall. "Mele Kanaka! Wendy Polans! Jaser Masri! Rex Hampton! Briallen Bevin!"

Screams of excitement filled the stands behind Briallen as everybody either went to greet friends or left the pitch with their heads down. Benjamin waved to Briallen as Conall took him aside, and the two began conversing in a very businesslike manner.

"You made it! You made it! You made it!" screamed Marisol as she hopped over the pitch fence and embraced Briallen in a tight hug. "I knew you would!"

"Barely," said Dax, patting Briallen heartily on the shoulder. "You heard what Lonigan said. Some of the people on the team had to fight to get you on. That means your going to have to train harder, longer and more than anyone else on the team just so you can prove yourself. Even if you're a sub."

"Dax…" said Ashley in the same sort of tone a mother would use on her child.

"What? I'm just being honest here. You all heard Big Lonny too."

"Briallen, ignore him. You really were good out there, tossing around the Quod and everything. You've got a great arm – it doesn't matter if you're a substitute and not that good on a broomstick."

"That's what I was hoping," said Briallen with a nervous laugh, though she was slightly offended that everyone seemed to be automatically assuming she was the one chosen for the substitute spot. "I really thought I blew it when I fell in the cauldron."

"So did I," said Benjamin who had just joined the group of second years along the pitch fence. "Conall just lectured me, Briallen. He said that I'm going to have to give you extra practices so that you're good enough to play, especially since you and Rex will be sharing a spot on the team. Had that been a real game, you would have been on the bench just five minutes in – you cannot let the Quod explode while you're holding it, Briallen."

Briallen sighed and looked at the ground, ashamed that she had disappointed Benjamin, who had put so much time and effort into helping her. "I know Benjamin. But I won't let you down, I swear – I'll work extra hard to get really good. When's our first game?"

"Three weeks from now and it's against Platt. There's no promising that you'll play though – it's up to Conall whether or not to have you or Rex play, but you still need to practice; that's where you'll prove yourself to him. We have team practices Monday and Wednesday at dawn, and Tuesday and Thursday at sunset, with weekend practices at one on Saturday and Sunday the week before a game. We can have our extra practices on Friday and Saturday nights, after dinner, okay?"

"Alright," said Briallen, nodding with false enthusiasm. She had expected to have less free time if she made the team but actually hearing from Benjamin exactly how much she'd have to practice made her queasy. She would have to really dedicate a lot of effort to improve her skills, especially if she wanted to play and not sit on the bench the entire season.

O O O O

Toby jumped up from his seat in the bleachers and did a silly victory dance when Marisol scored another point. Briallen and Toby, and the rest of their friends, were watching Marisol's try-out for Chaser on the Wenlock Quidditch team that Saturday. They had all promised Dax they would be at the pitch to support him during his Quodpot try-out for Almerick the following day as well. Briallen watched Marisol, resentful of how well her friend could fly. Marisol did several loops in the air to avoid a Bludger and the crowd clapped wildly.

She knew shouldn't be jealous as she watched Marisol steal the Quaffle from one of the Chasers she was playing against. She then performed a complicated pass to another Chaser who then scored yet another point. Marisol had grown up flying brooms, which naturally made her better, but Briallen still wondered why she couldn't catch on, especially with all the effort she put into learning to fly.

At the end of the try-outs, the Captain of Wenlock's Quidditch team announced who would be filling the open positions that they had for Beater and Chaser. When Briallen heard Marisol's name she, like the rest of her friends, stood and cheered for Marisol. Everybody scrambled out of the stands and ran into the pitch so that they could all congratulate Marisol. Briallen gave her friend a big hug.

"Way to go! You were the _only_ choice for Chaser! The others sucked compared to you!" said Briallen happily, hiding her jealousy. "I have to go now, though – I'm supposed to be meeting Hayden at Charlotte's for lunch. Don't party too hard, alright?"

"Of course not," said Marisol, laughing. "And don't you stay out too late with that boy!"

Briallen waved goodbye to everybody before heading to the circular drive where several carriages were parked for students who wished to go to The Village. Briallen stepped inside of the carriage at the front of the line and it began to move immediately. She kept her eyes on the pitch for as long as she could, watching the people still flying around over it, before it disappeared out of her line of sight. The carriage made it to the train station in The Village – the usual drop off point for anyone going to the small town – in record time, which wasn't enough time for Briallen completely bottle up her feelings of envy about Marisol.

Briallen hoped that the walk to Charlotte's, which took her along the lake, in the beautiful weather, would make her feel better, but she still could not shake the feeling of jealousy she had for her best friend. She walked up the steps to the back deck of Charlotte's and spotted Hayden right away. She gave him a smile.

Hayden stood up as soon as he saw Briallen, straightened out his clothes, and kissed her on the cheek before helping her into her chair. Briallen said nothing as the waitress came by and Hayden ordered their usual. He then began to talk about how well BBN (Bring Bergamot News) was doing and how there very well might be a school newspaper by winter break, which was something he was very excited about. Briallen nodded and smiled when she was supposed to, but was not really listening.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Hayden, concerned, as he reached over the table and took her hand in his. "If this is about the welcoming feast, please say something. I swear I didn't ask your friends to bring it up."

"That's not it, Hayden. I really don't care about that," said Briallen as she pulled her hand away from his and ran it through her bangs. Hayden looked hurt by what she said but Briallen failed to notice. "It's my _flying_… why am I so _bad_, no matter how hard I try or practice?"

"Briallen, you made the Quodpot team. That obviously means your good…"

"No, it doesn't, Hayden. Benjamin had to practically _beg_ Conall to let me on the team. I _barely_ made it, and I'm sharing the spot with Rex which means I'll be warming the bench at least half the time. I'm going to have to work my butt off just to stay on the team too because Conall told me he has no problem replacing me at any time. And then… and then Marisol goes to try out for Quidditch this morning, and she was _amazing_! There was no doubt she'd make the team! I wish I was that good. It's not fair."

"Well, life isn't fair, and I know you know that," Briallen looked up to see Hayden actually glaring at her, which caught her off guard as he had never looked at her with anything other than affection. She suddenly felt as if she wanted to just cry. Her lower lip started to tremble and her eyes grew watery. Hayden's look softened. "Don't cry, Briallen," he whispered as he moved his chair closer to hers. "I didn't mean to be so harsh, really. It's just that, to me, you are so perfect and it makes me angry that you don't see that."

"If I did see myself that way, I'd be just like Grace Daniels, wouldn't I? And I'm not crying because I thought you were mean, but because what you said is _true_. Life isn't fair and I hate it. And I hate that I'm jealous of my best friend. It's not right."

Hayden rubbed her back soothingly. "I know something that will help you relax: meditation. I'll show you later this afternoon how to do it, okay?"

Briallen wiped her eyes and nodded just as the waitress appeared with their food. "You doing okay, sweetie?" asked the waitress as she looked kindly at Briallen, and then suspiciously at Hayden.

"I'm good, thanks," explained Briallen. "I'm just having a bad day."

In the distance, Bergamot's clock-tower struck noon.


	8. A Pressing Engagement

Chapter 8: A Pressing Engagement

**Chapter 8: A Pressing Engagement**

Though the dungeons of Bergamot were usually quite drafty, it was always stuffy in the Potions laboratory. Briallen had shrugged off her outer robes almost an hour ago but she still felt damp, and was finding it more and more difficult to concentrate on finishing her Swelling Solution. Professor Alembic strode casually over to the lab table she shared with Toby Davis and Shane Stanton and examined each of their potions.

"Shane, did you remember to add the wormwood? Your solution is looking much too purple. It should be a pale blue… nice work Davis, aside from the fact that you're over-heating it. Remove the burner for a few seconds to get it back to normal, and remember to _continuously_ check the temperature… Briallen… " Professor Alembic paused as she looked for something to criticize. "Hm, nothing wrong with yours… " After another brief pause, Professor Alembic walked to the next desk.

"I think she was surprised to see you know what you're doing," whispered Toby.

"She_ is_. And it's only because I was Abe's partner last year." Briallen glanced sympathetically at Abraham Cohen, who was at the lab table across from them. His potion was giving off swirling pink smoke and smelled of eggs – neither of which was a characteristic of a Swelling Solution done correctly. "He's nice, but he's horrible at Potions. I like being his partner in Astronomy a lot better. And I'm glad we don't have share cauldrons this year. He nearly destroyed mine at least ten times before!"

"Remember last year when we made Shrinking Solution and he got it on his hands? That was so funny!"

Briallen shook in silent laughter, remembering how shocked Abe had been to suddenly have hands the size of marbles, and how annoyed Professor Alembic had been to have to escort him to the nurse's office.

"Be quiet!" whispered Shane, looking nervously at Professor Alembic. "She'll hear you!"

Briallen wiped the tears from her eyes before whispering, "Poor Abe… anything interesting like that happen in your Potions class last year, Shane? You were with Wenlock, right?"

Shane's round cheeks grew pinker than the smoke in Abe's cauldron.

"Marisol told me she was his Potions partner," added Toby. "Just last week she mentioned it… I'm surprised she didn't say anything before that."

Briallen looked over at Toby, surprised by this new information as well. "She never told me that. Was she really your Potions partner, Shane?"

But Shane ignored them and concentrated intently on stirring his Swelling Solution correctly. Briallen could just make out Shane's dimples, which was a sure sign he was smiling just a little bit.

"Is this a conversation you would like to share with the rest of the class, Briallen?" asked Professor Alembic, suddenly appearing behind her.

Briallen quickly shook her head in violent motion. "No, Professor."

"Then you shouldn't be having it, should you?"

"No, Professor."

"See me after class, Briallen."

"Yes, Professor."

For the rest of class Briallen kept her fingers crossed, when possible, hoping that she wouldn't be given a detention. She had made it almost a month without any problems, not even from Professor Stalkes, aside from her first night back, and she didn't want to break her winning streak just yet. When Potions finally ended, she stayed behind while the rest of her class went off to the dining hall for supper. She promised Toby she'd meet him there soon. Nervously she approached Professor Alembic at her desk.

"You wanted to see me, Professor?" said Briallen politely.

"Yes. I'd appreciate it if you kept off-topic conversation to a minimum in this class. Brewing potions required the utmost concentration… also, you've made tremendous progress compared to where you were a year ago in this class. Frankly, I'm surprised – and pleased. What was it that encouraged you to take your studies more seriously? If you don't mind my asking."

"Nothing really," lied Briallen. She was too embarrassed to mention any of the lectures her grandfather had given her. "It's just that I don't have Abe for a lab partner this year. I tried helping him and, well, keeping him from messing up but he's just not that good at Potions."

"I see. Normally, I don't discuss other students' grades but I think you would do well to continue helping Abraham. I'm sure he'd appreciate a friend's help, especially from a friend who knows what it is he struggles with," Professor Alembic hinted.

Briallen got the hint and nodded dolefully. "I'm busy but I'll give him a hand when I can."

"I'd really appreciate that. He's a shy but proud boy. I've told him he can come and see me whenever he wants but I think he'd open up more readily to one of his peers… and I believe your peers are waiting for you in the dining hall." Briallen grinned and nodded. Professor Alembic laughed and waved her away as she said, "Go on."

"So, what is it this time?" asked Toby when Briallen finally arrived for dinner, referring to the detention he believed Briallen had been given.

"Nothing!" said Briallen happily. "Professor Alembic just wanted to speak to me about how well I'm doing in Potions, and I explained Abe to her and then she asked if I would help him out a bit, you know, because he sucks at Potions. I wasn't in trouble. I mean, she did ask me to keep it down in class but that was it."

"Really! Marisol wasn't as lucky as you. She got a detention from Professor Motaleb. She's serving it right now – cleaning out his rabbit cages."

"You're kidding! How on earth did she get a detention with Professor _Motaleb_? He's the biggest pushover!"

"She gave Belphoebe Astly rabbit ears."

"Well," said Briallen, chuckling, "Professor Motaleb _did_ say that she's the most talented Transfiguration student in our class."

Toby choked on his green beans because he had started laughing. Briallen had to strike him on the back several times to help him breathe normally again. "After we're done eating," said Toby hoarsely. "We can go get her."

"Alright," agreed Briallen before taking a bite of her mashed potatoes.

But Briallen and Toby ended up leaving the dining hall earlier than they'd planned, after an unexpected fight with Dante Garcia during which Briallen accidentally set his steak on fire. Not wanting to get into trouble, she and Toby disappeared by blending in with a group of noisy Almericks, who didn't even notice the sudden addition to their group as they walked into the entrance hall.

"Into the dungeons!" Briallen whispered to Toby. "They won't expect us to go that way!" The two of them cut away from the Almerick group (who, again, didn't notice) and disappeared down the stairs that led to the dungeons.

Briallen was right as Dante and his minions didn't expect them to go into the dungeons. Instead, they followed the Almerick group up the stairs and into the portrait hall. Toby and Briallen didn't see Dante and his friends go up the grand staircase however, because they were too busy running away.

When they neared their Potions classroom, Briallen slowed down. She thought she heard voices inside the classroom. She stopped and snuck to the door to see who was inside as Toby, who had not heard the voices or noticed Briallen stop, kept running.

"She's gifted at Potions, Cal," said Professor Alembic, organizing the contents of one of her storage cabinets. "In a few years she could make your potion herself."

"I'm just not sure if I'd want her to. She would ask questions, and when I don't answer them she would go and find the answers herself. I wouldn't be surprised if she owled Albus demanding answers. She's stubborn and determined when she decides she wants something," replied Cal Bevin as he took a seat in one of the student chairs. In his hands he held very carefully a cloudy vial of honey-colored liquid.

Briallen wondered if the potion her grandfather held was the one he and her Potions Professor were referring too, and she wondered who Albus was. Her grandfather was right, however: once she learned more about this enigmatic conversation, she would demand answers.

"She's just like you, you mean?" Professor Alembic smiled and patted Cal's hand in a loving way.

"Fundamentally. I don't know who else she could have gotten it from. Her father was always a content, reserved boy – never broke any rules. Well, he never _wanted_ to but his cousin Matilda managed to get him into a bit of trouble as a child. He's a peace-loving sort of person though, just like his mother. Meda is more… I'm not sure. I'm sorry to say that I don't know her as well as I would like to, or should even, but she and Will seem to have a lot in common and I imagine she's like him in that way. Anyway, Briallen and I… we thrive on excitement."

"You're both busy-bodies, is what you are. I still can't believe you allowed Caoimhe to take her on as a student aide. That's supposed to be a job for sixth and seventh year students."

"Briallen wanted to do it, and as I just said… And I explained how much work it would be, but she enjoys it, I think. She says she does. And if you think she's good in Potions, you should see her in Elemental Magic. She does easily what seventh year students are struggling with, and she grasps its concepts extraordinarily quickly."

"Is that really all that surprising, though?"

Cal chuckled. "No, not at all."

Professor Alembic smiled knowingly and Briallen again wondered, only this time she wondered about what they knew about her that she didn't know herself. But the conversation about her had ended without any answers.

"Anyway," said Professor Alembic, closing the cabinet before taking a seat next to Cal. "I know you didn't come down here just to talk about your granddaughter. What is it you really wanted to see me for?"

"The Minister is coming, Freya."

"What? Here? He's coming to the school?"

"Yes. Not for some time, though – he's busy dealing with some issues in England at the moment. There's trouble at Hogwarts, and so he's lending Cornelius Fudge a hand."

"Because, naturally, Cornelius has no idea of what to do?"

"Of course. I can't believe he expects to make any difference, though. Albus has contacted me, for my own opinion, seeing as I was at Hogwarts the last time something of that nature occurred."

"Didn't a student die then? Has there been another death?"

"Not yet. Though, honestly, they're not sure what's going on. Albus has an idea, however… I told him I only know what the rumors were at the time. I was just a first year, after all. I'm sure it's one of You-Know-Who's followers, up to no good."

"Did you tell Professor Dumbledore that we have our own problems right now?"

"Yes. That's my main reason for coming to see you. I explained the situation to Albus, Freya, and he thinks our problems are not so dissimilar, and that the press of magic is due to…" Cal began to speak in a whisper and Briallen was unable to hear him continue. She squeezed her hands in frustration, knowing that she was missing the most important part of their conversation.

"Well, Freya, I suppose I'll be going now. We can discuss this further tomorrow, and begin preparing for the Minister's arrival. I would like to get something to eat while the food is still warm," said Cal, smiling.

"I think I'll join you. I wanted to speak with Val about a student."

Briallen's eyes widened as her grandfather and Professor Alembic made their way to the Potions room door, which was where she was crouching. Quickly, she stood up and looked around for a place to hide. Briallen had barely managed to squeeze behind a statue shoved in a nook in the wall before her grandfather and Professor Alembic left the room, locking it behind them. Once she was sure they were out of sight, she squeezed back out from behind the statue and smiled, proud she hadn't been caught eavesdropping and that she'd avoided another detention.

It was then that she realized she hadn't seen Toby for some time, and that he hadn't been next to her while she was eavesdropping. She looked around the hallway, wondering where he had gone off to and why he hadn't returned for her. She continued deeper into the dungeons than she had ever gone before. Though she had explored much of the castle, Briallen had never felt any desire to explore the dungeons. The dark, cold, spider-infested hallways being the main reason she kept away.

She peeked around a corner, making sure there was nobody there and, not seeing anybody, she began down yet another hallway that eventually led to a staircase that went down even further. Something didn't feel right – she felt as if there was someone nearby waiting for her or watching her. Briallen removed her wand from her pocket before she began down the darkened staircase.

"Toby?" she called lightly, her whispers echoing off the stone walls. "Where are you, Toby?"

Briallen was starting to feel anxious. There was no knowing what kind of creatures lurked in the deep recesses of these dungeons, and her imagination began to run wild. Her mind naturally brought up thoughts of werewolves and her scar began to burn. She clutched her stomach in pain and tried to think of something else. Passages from her favorite book, _Deadly Dragons!_, unexpectedly sprung to the front of her mind:

_The North-American Diamond Horn_

_This dragon is highly sought-after, as the three large horns on its head, _

_though black at first sight, are actually diamond. The heat and pressure within _

_this beautiful beast compound to form the valuable crystal. Most horns grow _

_to a length of three to four feet, though there are some eye-witness accounts of horns _

_up to seven feet in length! The North-American Diamond Horn, because of its _

_fondness for deep caves, cannot be found in any dragon reservation, but witches _

_wizards are reminded that it is still on the endangered dragons list and the hunting _

_of these magnificent creatures is severely monitored._

_I wonder if there are any dragons down here_, thought Briallen. She began to convince herself that she was feeling unusually warm. She pulled at her necktie and glanced around nervously, thinking she could hear the low rumblings of a growl.

"Briallen?" asked an unexpected, yet friendly, voice.

She spun around, her wand at the ready, and came face to face with Lucan Stone. "Lucan! Are you insane? You can't just sneak up on people like that! I nearly hexed you to the moon!"

Lucan allowed her a half-smile. "What are you doing sneaking around near the Platt dormitory?"

"I'm not! I didn't even know the Platt dorms were down here. I'm just looking for Toby." Briallen bit her lip, knowing now there was no way her friend was still in the dungeons.

"Maybe he found the door that leads to the Astronomy tower."

"What? There's actually a staircase that goes from the dungeons all the way to the Astronomy tower?"

"I never said anything about any stairs. It's just a door. You open it, you go inside, you close it, and then when you open it again you're at the top of the Astronomy tower."

"Really? That's really neat… Where is it?"

"Right behind you."

Briallen looked behind her and then back at Lucan. "Well, uh, I'm going to go, then. I'm supposed to be meeting Marisol in Professor Motaleb's classroom."

Lucan suddenly frowned and scowled. "Yes, I saw what she did to Bella. That was really uncalled for."

"Not from what I've been hearing. Belphoebe has always been mean to Marisol."

"Marisol has always been mean to Belphoebe."

Now Briallen was scowling. "Whatever, Lucan. Goodnight."

She turned and went through the door that Lucan said led to the Astronomy tower, stuck her tongue out at Lucan, who looked as if he wanted to say something else to her, and then closed the door. When she opened it again, Briallen was pleased to find that Lucan hadn't been lying to her. She was now on top of the Astronomy tower.

"Neat… " murmured Briallen as she looked up at the stars in the sky. Suddenly the clock-tower started to chime. Briallen, not expecting it to be so loud, brought her hands to her ears and winced, until the clock-tower had chimed seven times and then stopped.

Once the clock had finished, she left the tower, her ears ringing, and went down to her Transfiguration classroom. Briallen found Toby already with Marisol. Marisol was crying and pushing away Toby, who looked like he was trying to hug her.

"Thanks for leaving me in the dungeons, Davis," said Briallen sarcastically, walking over to them.

"I didn't mean to. I heard some voices and just opened a random door, hoping to hide in a room, and then when I opened it again I was on top of the Astronomy tower. I figured you would know to find me in Motaleb's room anyway."

"Yeah, right… What's wrong, Marisol?"

Marisol wiped her eyes with the sleeves of her robes. "_Belphoebe Astley_ is what's wrong. Sh-sh-she called me some very mean names in class today and so I gave her some bunny ears. Which I thought would be appropriate considering she's always eavesdropping on my conversations anyway! I figured she'd be thankful for the bigger ears – all the better to hear with, you know?"

Briallen muffled a laugh behind her hand and glanced at Toby who was shaking his head and smiling. "Then why are you crying?"

Marisol shrugged and sniffled. "They were mean names, the ones she called me."

Toby picked up the story, realizing that Marisol wasn't going to finish it. "The simple story is that Marisol was complaining about not having a boyfriend like you, Briallen, and Belphoebe told her that she didn't have a boyfriend because you are pretty and she is ugly. She was just saying that to make you angry, Marisol. You know she thinks Briallen is just as ugly as you." Toby didn't catch what he had said until it was too late and Marisol was crying even harder. "No, that's not what I meant – what I meant to say is–"

Briallen put a hand on Marisol's shoulder and cut Toby off. "Marisol – you know not to believe that, right? You're ten-times prettier than me _and_ Belphoebe!"

"But even Toby thinks I'm ugly!" cried Marisol, suddenly wrapping her arms around Briallen and sobbing into her shoulder. Briallen glared at Toby, who stood next to them and threw his hands in the air.

"I did not say that, Marisol!"

"Yes, you did! I asked you if you thought what Belphoebe said was true and you said," Marisol paused to use a deeper voice for Toby's words. "'No, you're alright.' And just now you said that both Briallen and me are ugly!"

Toby was visibly grasping for the right words to use to make Marisol feel better. "'Alright' doesn't mean ugly! I just – ugh – you're pretty, okay? I think you're pretty."

Marisol pulled away from Briallen and sniffled loudly again as she blinked away her tears. "You do?"

"Yes, yes, yes! I think you're beautiful!" Toby shouted, exasperated. Briallen raised an eyebrow. She was sure that the only reason Toby was saying those things was so that Marisol would stop crying, since she was also sure that Toby had never looked at Marisol in that sort of way. She felt bad for him, and the fact that he had to put up with someone as emotional as Marisol. She was sure he wished his best friends were guys just then.

Marisol suddenly grinned and lunged at Toby, wrapping her arms around him and giggling the whole time. When she pulled away she gave him a sloppy kiss on his cheek and laughed again. "Do you think Shane thinks I'm pretty?"

Toby nodded absent-mindedly as he wiped off his cheek with the edge of his robes.

"Shane?" asked Briallen. "Are you talking about Shane Stanton?"

"Yes, of course I am. You have a boyfriend, Briallen, and I want one too! I _should_ have a boyfriend. I like boys so much more than you. Why hasn't anybody asked _me_ out?"

Briallen guffawed, though she was slightly insulted by what Marisol had said. "Marisol – if you wanted, I'd give you Hayden in the blink of an eye. And I think you definitely have a chance with Shane, but he's too shy to ask you out. Why don't you ask him out?"

"I will!" said Marisol, suddenly excited. She then looked coyly at Toby, before stepping closer to Briallen, and whispered in her ear, "I didn't want to tell Toby this, because it's girl stuff and he wouldn't care, but I've already kissed Shane!"

Briallen believed it because Shane blushed whenever Marisol was nearby, or even mentioned. Briallen nodded and patted her friend on the back, unsure of what else to do for such a confession, and said, "Awesome."

Marisol pulled away again. "I only did it to make Benjamin jealous, you know. We were in the dining hall and Ben was flirting with Mindy again, and so I grabbed Shane, because he was right there, and I kissed him! In front of everybody!" Toby, blushing for Marisol, was staring intently at the rabbits in the cages next to them, pretending he wasn't listening to anything his friend said. "But nobody noticed… or if they did, they didn't care. I thought it was a waste of a perfectly good kiss but Shane was nicer to me after it, so I changed my mind."

Later that night, after Toby and Briallen returned to their common room, they began discussing Marisol. Chante and Noelle eventually joined their discussion, being apparent witnesses to Marisol's strange kiss with Shane the year before.

"Why wouldn't she tell me? Like I would care," said Toby as he rolled his eyes. "She's so silly sometimes."

"That's exactly why she didn't want to tell you! Besides, there are some things that girls just don't talk about with boys, and other boys is one of those things," Briallen explained. She hadn't even shared her feelings about Hayden with Toby, though Toby knew now that the two of them were dating.

"I would tell you guys if I kissed a girl," reasoned Toby. He had been embarrassed back in Professor Motaleb's room, listening to Marisol go on about kissing Shane, but now he was acting as if it weren't a big deal at all.

"Yeah, right! You were blushing more than she was when she told her story."

"Hey, where did you disappear to earlier?" asked Toby, just now remembering that he and Briallen had been separated in the dungeons earlier that evening, and also eager to talk about something else. Chante and Noelle began their own conversation, since Toby and Briallen had stopped talking about Marisol.

"Oh, I heard some voices in the Potions room and stopped to see who it was."

"… And?"

"And it was nothing. It was my grandpa and Professor Alembic, and they just talked a bit about me, about Hogwarts, and a little bit about what's going on here, but I couldn't hear most of what they said." Briallen was being deliberately blasé, until she better understood what she had overheard, and had her grandfather fill in the holes.

"Too bad. If you did we might have something more interesting to talk about other than Marisol's crushes," mumbled Toby, sounding genuinely upset by Briallen's lack of information. He had been on her lately to have another adventure – Briallen attributed his desire for excitement to Marisol's theory that the bump on the head he got in the north word back in June made him a little crazy. Both she and Marisol had been less willing to go off on adventures since their fight with werewolves, and so neither of them understood why Toby was now so eager to re-live that nightmare.

Briallen ignored his behavior and continued their conversation about Marisol. "I know. And when did she start liking Shane Stanton? The two of us spent most of our time at her house talking about boys and she never even mentioned him!"

"I have a theory – about how to tell what Marisol really thinks about her crushes. The more she talks about them, the less she really cares about them."

"So, since she didn't talk about Shane at all that means she's really into him?"

"That's just my theory. But I'm really getting sick of you two talking about boys all the time. Abe and Dax warned me about being best friends with girls, too, and I didn't listen to them."

"If you don't like what we talk about then why do you hang out with us so much?" Briallen asked teasingly. "Maybe _you_ should ask Marisol out!"

Toby wrinkled his nose. "She's not my type… and I'd be fine with never having a girlfriend while I'm in school. Anyway, I do like spending time with you guys… you two were the first people to talk to me and be nice to me."

Briallen gave her friend a small smile. Just then she saw Toby as he was when they first met, and not as he was now. She decided to give him what he wanted and said, "Do you want to sneak into the kitchen tonight?"

"Since you ruined our dinner… definitely!" said Toby enthusiastically.

Three hours later, once they were sure everybody was in bed, Toby and Briallen crept out of the Withers common room. If anyone had seen them just then, they would have been mistaken for twins. They both wore their pajamas, comprised of oversized t-shirts and baggy, gray gym shorts, and they both wore dark blue house slippers, more commonly worn by senior citizens, but perfect for treading silently on cold, stone floors.

They crept out of the common room without waking Sir Lawrence of Woodcroft, and snuck past Ava Hudson, who was on patrol on the stairs. They had almost made it but when they were just about to enter the armor-lined hallway, Briallen felt a breeze rustle her t-shirt. She grabbed Toby's hand and motioned to him that she wanted to go down to the communal common room. She shook her head when they reached the bottom: the door to the north courtyard was open again.

The door creaked lightly in the breeze, though it didn't move because it was caught in the grass. Cautiously, Toby and Briallen tip-toed into the courtyard, still holding hands. The moon was brighter than when Briallen had last been there on their first night back at Bergamot, and she was able to easily see everything in the courtyard. They were the only ones in the courtyard, aside from the inanimate statues.

"Come on, I'm hungry," whispered Toby, tugging her hand. "Let's go make ice cream sundaes!"

Briallen shook her head and pressed a finger to her lips, telling Toby without words to stop speaking. She then pointed across the courtyard to door that led to the administrative offices. Through the glass door they could see a flickering light, like a flashlight. A few months ago, Toby would have told Briallen to ignore the strange light, or to go get a teacher, but now he suggested, "Let's take a look."

She was too curious about the flickering light to worry about her friend's abnormal behavior as they crept behind the statue of Sarosh the Blind. The light seemed to move from one office and across the hall to another, though it didn't illuminate whoever was controlling the light. In case it was a teacher or Mr Eldred, Toby and Briallen snuck closer to the administrative office's door, and hid behind the statue of The Kindly Pirate Jenkins. The light moved again, this time further down the hall, and then it turned a corner.

They took the opportunity to carefully open the unlocked door to the administrative offices, and sneak in. They crouched low as they went down the hallway, until they were at the corner the light turned.

Briallen was nervous now, convinced that it was just one of the professors, unable to sleep. She turned to Toby and whispered, "Let's just go to the kitchen."

"No! We don't know who's here!" whispered Toby defiantly. He switched places with Briallen so that he was closer to the corner. He pulled out his wand and, after a deep breath, spun around the corner.

"Who are you?" cried an unfamiliar voice.

Toby, on his knees in the middle of the hallway, held his wand held out in front of him with both hands, as if it were a pistol. If he weren't wearing a Michael Jordan t-shirt and slippers Briallen would have been frightened of him. "Who are you?" he demanded in return.

Briallen continued to just listen to their exchange, and stayed hidden behind the wall. She still didn't know if the other person was someone she should run away from, but that question was answered quickly, as the other person said, crossly, "Rudy Brodzki. You a first year? You know, you shouldn't be in here."

"You shouldn't be in here!" said Briallen, jumping out from behind the wall with a smile. Rudy didn't smile back, contrary to what she'd expected. Briallen stammered slightly as she went on, "Don't you recognize us? He's Toby, I'm Briallen – we helped save your sister from the snatcher?"

As the realization of who they were dawned on him, Rudy lowered his wand, though he still didn't grin. "What are you two doing here? Going after another hag?"

"Um, no, we were following the light, actually, to see who was in here," explained Briallen. Toby had stood up now and was looking into the room Rudy had come out of.

"Well, you now you know. So, leave now," said Rudy, stepping in front of Toby and blocking the view of the room.

They all stared silently at one another for a moment, and then a voice came from the room Rudy was blocking. "They gone yet?"

"Who's that?" asked Toby, standing on his tip-toes and trying to look over Rudy's shoulder. "What are you guys doing?"

"None of your business," grumbled Rudy, suspicious. The person he was protecting seemed to disagree, however, and he gently pushed Rudy out of the way so that he could leave the room.

"Ricky," he said, as he held his hand out to Toby and Briallen. They both shook it, politely, and then Toby repeated his last question. Ricky thought for a moment and then said, "We're, uh, we're looking for the Bergamot building plans. You know, the layout."

"What for?" asked Briallen, her brow raised. She knew both boys were Almericks, but that didn't mean they were less likely to cause trouble than anyone else, and she was suspicious of their motives.

Rudy and Ricky looked at each other, each one waiting for the other to say something. Ricky spoke first. "It's for a game. We're trying to find a room without the professors knowing." Toby opened his mouth, obviously to ask 'which room,' but Ricky wasn't finished talking. "We don't know which one yet. We just know it's somewhere in–"

Rudy cut him off. "None of their business! We got the plans so let's go." He grabbed his friend roughly by the shoulder and pulled him away. Neither of them bothered to tell Briallen and Toby not to say anything. They knew Briallen and Toby didn't want to get in any trouble either, which they would if they told on the Almerick boys since they were also sneaking around the school at night.

Briallen and Toby snuck carefully and quietly out of the administrative wing, and through the courtyard, this time not stopping until they were in the kitchen.

With several house-elves working on making a giant ice cream sundae for them, Toby spoke up. "What kind of game do you think those guys are playing?"

They were both intrigued by how nervous and mysterious Ricky and Rudy had been.

"I don't know, but if they're sneaking around in the middle of the night and don't want to ask any of the professors for help, then it's obviously something they're not supposed to be doing."

At the same time, both Briallen and Toby then said, "I want to play!"

They laughed as the house-elves pushed their ice cream sundae in front of them. As they happily dug in, they speculated about what this unknown game might be.


	9. Time Management

Chapter 9: Time Management

**Chapter 9: Time Management**

-POP-

A pile of clothes appeared on top of the trunks of all the girls Briallen shared a dorm room with, as well as on her own trunk. It was the first Monday morning of October and they had been in a school for over a month but Briallen had only just put her dirty clothes in her hamper the other day, and so she had a pile of clean clothes larger than even that of Chante (who wore, at minimum, two different outfits per day). She had been so busy with Quodpot practices and preparing for her first big game, along with all of her school duties, that Briallen just kept forgetting to put her laundry in the hamper. That is, until Cass kindly suggested the previous night that she might start smelling funny if she didn't have her clothes washed.

Kimmy and Chante snickered at the pile of clothes and Briallen heard one of them whisper the word 'dirty,' but she paid them no mind.

Briallen had more important things to worry about – like when she was going to write the essay she had due in History of Magic tomorrow, and when was going to study for the quiz she had on Thursday in Spell-Working. She hadn't been practicing the Congealing Charm at all, and had a feeling she wouldn't do too well on her quiz. In her head, dates and times and to-do lists swirled in a jumbled mess, and it was giving her a headache.

But she pushed the anxiety and throbbing down, and down, as far as she could, to a place where she could ignore it for the time being, and continue doing what she'd done for the past month – deal with it. Already finished dressing for the day, after a dawn Quodpot practice, she dutifully began to put her clean clothes away in her dresser. She grabbed a pile t-shirts, and then a pile of shorts next. It was colder out now, meaning shorts weren't seen as often around the school anymore and so her pile of summer clothes only served to remind her how long it'd been since she'd last had her laundry done. She wrinkled her nose at her lack of hygiene and added 'do laundry once a week,' to the swirling lists in her brain.

"Briallen, this fell off your clothes," said Noelle as she scooped up a folded piece of parchment next to Briallen's trunk.

Briallen took the parchment from Noelle, thanked her, and looked it over. It had a note attached to it, written with poor spelling, explaining that the parchment had been found in the pocket of one of her shorts. She was confused for a moment but then it struck her – it was the mysterious note she'd received on the train ride to Bergamot! She had stuffed it in her shorts and forgotten all about it.

She hastily ripped it open, while the her roommates watched, curious. The note was written in the same hand-writing as the one she'd gotten before she left home back in August, and it read:

_I had this note delivered by a most trust-worthy friend, _

_ someone I'm sure you trust as well – with your life, even. _

_ I cannot say much, for I do not know much. I know only _

_ what my friend, a Seer, tells me. She speaks of a great_

_ storm ahead, and of a great darkness rising, not only in _

_ my own nation, but yours as well. I regret having to involve _

_ a child, but she names you directly. To help you in the _

_ task mentioned in my previous letter, I am sending you a _

_ powerful tool, one I hope will help you. Use it wisely._

Briallen's brow furrowed in confusion. This letter was obviously from the same person as the last, and it was just as vague. And while Briallen could excuse the first letter as a mistake, as something delivered to her by accident, this second letter had found her on a moving train. She shook her head.

_There's no way this was meant for me. It sounds so serious – they can't possibly be asking for _my_ help with this – this rising darkness! I'm only thirteen!_

Again, she shook her head.

She crumpled the letter into a tight ball and threw it in her book bag before heaving the bag over her shoulder. She had more important things to worry about than weird letters from mad old wizards. Putting it out of her mind, and ignoring the strange looks her roommates were giving her, she headed down to the common room to start her day.

She spent the next two weeks doing as she'd always done. She went to Quodpot practice. She went to class. She helped Professor Conleth as a student aide. She visited her grandfather for lunch twice a week. She did her homework and studied (most of the time, at least).

Overall, Briallen surprised everybody and remained out of trouble. It was now mid-October, and her thirteenth birthday had come and gone without a party – everybody was much too busy this year. She wasn't the only one involved in extra-curricular activities. She was thankful, in a way, because she was exhausted. Ever day was tedious, and yet busy, and she hardly ever saw her friends anymore, outside of meals, as the little free-time she had was now taken by her incredibly needy boyfriend, Hayden.

Late one evening Briallen sat quietly at a miniature version of a teacher's desk, directly next to a full-sized teacher's desk, as she thought about how much she truly missed spending time Marisol and Toby. She and Toby were supposed to have asked Rudy and Ricky about their game and if they could join but Briallen, of course, hadn't the time and so Toby dropped the idea. She felt bad but she had obligations. Now, Toby spent most of his time with Dax and Abe; and Marisol was spending her time with Ashley, Anthony, and, of course, Shane (whom she hadn't actually asked out yet).

Briallen felt abandoned.

"Once you've finished grading those quizzes, Briallen, I'm going to need you to clean up all this ash on the floor and then lock the door behind you, okay?" explained Professor Conleth as she gathered her things from her desk and prepared to leave.

"No problem, Professor Conleth," answered Briallen mechanically, as she went over the quizzes the first years had taken that afternoon.

"Thank you, Briallen." Professor Conleth squeezed Briallen's shoulder as she left the room and then Briallen was all alone in the large classroom.

When she had first started her job as a student aide to Professor Conleth, Briallen had been afraid to be in the large, empty classroom by herself. Now however, it was her most treasured activity – she had no one asking her questions, ordering her to play a Double Eagle Pass until she got it right, or nagging her to spend time with them. It was quiet and it was peaceful and it was the only true relaxation she got these days.

"Briallen?" whispered somebody from behind her. Briallen jumped and had her wand on the person behind her in less than a second.

Hayden was practically on his back on the desk behind him with Briallen's wand at his throat. "Wow! Obviously all that Quodpot practice has improved your reflexes! Merlin, that was fast!"

Briallen lowered her wand and pulled Hayden to his feet, her hands lingering slightly longer than was necessary on his hands. "I've been so jumpy lately for some reason."

"Maybe it's because you've only had about three hours of sleep a night for the past month? Kids need at least ten hours of sleep a night to function normally – it's a fact. Maybe we should start doing those relaxation techniques again; I swear those were helping you."

"No," said Briallen, shaking her head as she sat back down to finish grading the quizzes. "I don't have any time for that. I have Quodpot practices and games and when I don't have those, I'm doing my homework or helping Professor Conleth… I just don't have time to relax."

Hayden looked around the room. "What else do you have to do tonight?"

"Sweep the floor."

"I can take care of that for you." Hayden removed his wand and pointed it at the dirty, ash covered floor. "Scourgify!" he said loudly. The ash vanished and the floor was as spotless as it had been that morning before classes began.

"I still need to learn that one."

Hayden pulled a chair up next to Briallen and ran his hand down her back. "You need a break, Briallen. Ask Professor Conleth – I'm sure she'd give you a week off or something. Then we could do some meditating, practice breathing techniques, clear your mind… " Hayden took several deep breathes in and out and closed his eyes. "It helps, really."

Briallen laughed quietly as she graded the last quiz and then put the papers in a neat pile. "I'm done now, you hippy. Want to take me to the kitchen?"

"That's the only place we ever go these days," he answered with a frown. "Hey, listen, there's this room on the sixth floor that I heard some of the guys talking about… "

"I'm hungry, Hayden." That and she knew what he wanted – to make-out, and that was something that still made her nervous. She was perfectly happy just holding his hand and allowing him the occasional kiss on the cheek.

"Maybe if you ate more during the day." Briallen was about to say something in response but Hayden cut her off. "You don't have time for big meals – I know, I know. You need to find the time, Briallen. This isn't healthy, the way you're going on. You'll wear yourself away to nothing if you don't change how you're doing things, right now."

Briallen stood up and placed the quizzes in a drawer in Professor Conleth's desk and then locked it with the keys she had been given. "Let's go to the kitchen."

Hayden sighed and gave in. The two of them made their way silently to the kitchen downstairs.

O O O O

"BEVIN, AR CHLE! TORTOISE!" shouted Conall Lonigan from his broom as he sped alongside Briallen. While the opposing team heard nonsense coming from the intense Withers Quodpot Captain, Briallen heard a direction and a play. She pulled her broom left and made a sharp turn. Noah Pierce tossed her the Quod and then she tossed it to Wendy Polans, above her, who then made a spectacular dive and managed to throw the Quod into the cauldron right as the whistle blew, signaling the end of the forth, and final, period of the game.

"And that does it folks! After a super pass from Lonigan to Pierce to Bevin and then finally to Polans, Withers manages to just beat Almerick, 23 to 22! What an incredible game this has been!" cried Lindsay Price, the official commentator for the Quodpot games that year.

Briallen could hear the crowd shouting, some in joy and others in anger, but all that really registered was the pain she felt in her head at that moment. After a sloppy landing next to the girls' locker room, Briallen went in and sat down on a bench, dropping her head into her hands. She'd gotten two feet and an elbow to the head during the hectic and chaotic game, but that had only magnified the pain that was already there. She felt dizzy and almost wished that she'd been on the bench for the game. Almost. She only wished she were able to point and laugh in Rex Hampton's face, except that he got to play as well since Kishori had come down with Dragon Pox.

"Hey, you were fantastic out there!" said Mele Kanaka, still pumped from the game. She began to remove her uniform padding and had gone over several of her favorite plays from the game before she finally realized that Briallen wasn't listening to her. "Briallen! Hey – BEVIN!"

Briallen's head shot up and her eyes were wide. "Oh, for the love of Circe, Mele. Never do that again. I thought Conall was in here…"

"If he were that mad, I'd hex his eyes shut for all eternity! This _is_ the girls' locker room after all. Are you feeling alright, though? You look like you're about to ralph."

"I feel like it," moaned Briallen as she slowly pulled off all of the padding she was wearing until she was in nothing but her Quodpot uniform shirt and pants. "I think I'm just going to shower in the dorms so that I can take as long as I want."

Mele nodded, a look of concern in her round eyes, as Briallen grabbed her broom and clothes and walked out of the locker room. She had started down the path that led to the front doors of the school when she heard someone calling her name yet again. "Briallen! Briallen!"

She turned around, expecting to see Benjamin and was surprised when she saw the shadowed, angular face of Conall Lonigan. He very rarely called her by her first name, and it made her nervous. "Briallen, I just wanted to say: job well done. _Job well done_."

He held out his hand for her to shake. She took his hand as he expected and was shocked when he broke into a grin. Briallen had seen Conall grin only once before. He looked strangely handsome, in a creepy and maniacal sort of way. "That pass to Polans was perfect, and this was your first game where you weren't benched before halftime for having the Quod explode in your possession! Those extra practices with Beauvais have been paying off apparently."

Briallen nodded and gave him a weak smile. "I've been working hard, you know, to live up to your expectations. I know you wouldn't have let me on the team if it weren't for Benjamin… but I think I may have to stop those extra practices now because it's really cutting into my homework time."

"And Pierce."

"And… What?"

"Noah Pierce. He was your biggest supporter. Said you're fast on your feet and good at making quick decisions. Seemed to think you just had to be pushed a bit more and then you'd really shine on the field. He wasn't wrong, that's for sure." Conall said all of this in one breath. Then he grinned again, baring all his teeth in a way that made Briallen think of her scar. She wrapped an arm protectively around her waist as he continued, "Who knows – maybe you'll make Captain in a couple of years! Once Noah has left, of course, since he's the natural first choice. And you'll have to talk to Benjamin about your practices – if they're really affecting your grades, we need to work around them. Anything less than a B and you're off the team – that's Dean's rule."

"Okay. I'm going to go clean up for dinner now." Conall nodded and then made his way straight to Rex Hampton, who was only a couple of feet away from Briallen, complaining to his girlfriend, Grace Daniels. She smiled as she listened to Conall chew out Rex for attempting to skin an Almerick, which had given Withers their only foul in the entire game. That was what had made the final score so close and Conall was thoroughly angry about it.

Briallen walked slowly, shuffling her feet all the way to her room, where she showered and changed into clean clothes. The game that day had been their second in a week and they had another one, against Wenlock, the following week. She didn't think she would make it that long. Looking at herself in the mirror, she examined her reflection: bags under the eyes, a bruised nose, a cut lip… some new injury appeared everyday. The school nurse, Mrs Krause, even had to give Briallen her own jar of OraJealer, otherwise she'd be in the infirmary every night. Briallen opened her bathroom cabinet and removed the jar of orange jelly-like substance and began to put it on all her cuts.

After showering and dressing and tending to her wounds, she looked at her watch and frowned when she saw there was still an hour before dinner began. Briallen hadn't had an entire free hour to herself in ages and wasn't sure what to do with such freedom anymore.

Briallen entwined her fingers behind her back and looked around the empty bedroom, whistling to herself. Kimmy Moseley's new pet, a tiny Mottled owl named Sugarfingers, sat on its perch nearby, staring at Briallen as if she were just daring her to mess with any of Kimmy's belongings. Sugarfingers had only been in the room for two weeks but the owl already hated Briallen for some reason unknown and whenever nobody else was around, she would nip violently at Briallen or clip her hard on the head as she flew around the room. Briallen had inadvertently become sworn enemies with Sugarfingers.

The owl stepped side to side on its perch several times before turning around and closing its eyes. Briallen sighed in relief; Sugarfingers was too tired to nip and clip her just then, though she _was_ dying to test a few new fire spells on the mean owl. She sat down on her bed and after one last, long sigh, she fell backwards with the intent of resting until dinner.

"OW!" cried Briallen, surprised and in pain. She'd fallen back on something hard that had been placed on her bed. Instinctually she glared at Sugarfingers, but the owl didn't move. She rolled onto her side slightly and pulled whatever she had accidentally lain on out from under her. "No…"

Briallen sat up quickly as she looked over the rolled up parchment that was tied with a red ribbon. Briallen recognized the red ribbon as Marisol's favorite – the one she could have sworn Marisol had put on the day they took the train to Bergamot; the one that had been missing ever since. Briallen examined the parchment with hesitance. Slowly she untied the ribbon. As she unrolled the parchment, a necklace fell into her lap. Briallen looked at the necklace and gasped –

She knew what she held in her hands. She had researched it at the beginning of the year, knowing what a demanding schedule she would have, and she knew it was very rare. But she couldn't think of how or why one had been left on her bed, wrapped in a piece of parchment and tied with Marisol's very red ribbon. Briallen looked back at the parchment to see if anything had been written on it. In sloppy, unrecognizable handwriting that had obviously been written in a hurry, there were only three words:

_Use it wisely. _

She recalled those same words from the unsigned letter she'd gotten on the train ride to Bergamot. This was obviously the device her mysterious sponsor had sent to help her to… defeat the rising darkness? Ridiculous. She rationalized that if there were a 'rising darkness' it'd be all over the papers. Not that she'd read any newspapers lately, but she was sure she would have overheard the students talking about it.

None of that really mattered, however – for whatever reason, it was now hers, to do with as she pleased. So long as she didn't tell anybody…

With a smile, she ran to the mirror over her dresser and put the necklace on. Then, carefully, she tucked it inside her baggy t-shirt where no one would notice. Now she just had to go to the library and figure out how to actually _use_ it.

Sliding on her old tennis shoes, and shaking out her wet hair, Briallen made her way down the stairs. Just as she entered the common room though, Dante Garcia, followed by Brady and Morana, entered through the portrait hole. Immediately Briallen removed her wand from the back pocket of her jeans and held it tightly at her side, just waiting for Dante to make the first move. They all stood motionless, glaring, like cowboys at a high noon duel.

Dante was the first to speak. "Long time, no see, Bevin, just how I like it. I was hoping the rumors of you moving into the girls' locker room were true… shame they're not."

"I came back just because I missed you, Dante," Briallen replied sarcastically. She muttered a choice word in Spanish, courtesy of Marisol.

"What was that?" snapped Dante. Briallen did not repeat herself. He paused and glared at Briallen, in a weak attempt to intimidate her. "I believe we still have a score to settle. Isn't that right, Brady? Morana?"

Brady Dolt nodded dully, though anger flashed in his eyes. "She was with Toby and Marisol on the train."

"And we've already taken care of those two. Now all that's left is your punishment."

"My _punishment_?" asked Briallen, incredulous. She did her best not to laugh. "You are so lame, Dante. L-A-M-E, _lame_."

With a growl, Dante raised his wand and prepared to cast a spell but Briallen was too quick for him and shouted her spell first: "Expelliarmus!"

Benjamin had not just been helping her practice her Quodpot; she was eager to show Dante everything else she had learned. His wand flew out of his hand and across the common room but he was still blocking Briallen's only exit out of the Withers tower. Brady and Morana both pulled out their own wands and a magical fight ensued between Briallen and Dante's two minions, with Dante on the floor in the middle of it all, looking for his wand.

"What is going on in here?!" shouted Professor Morra as she came into the common room and just narrowly dodged a Hair-Pulling Jinx cast by Morana and aimed at Briallen. Everyone stopped what they were doing, and at that moment they all had fear in their eyes. "Dolt, Tenebros, Garcia! Detention with Mr Eldred! Bevin! Detention with me!"

"They started it!" argued Briallen as she huffily put her wand back in her pocket. She'd just gotten her first detention of the semester, and she hadn't even done anything worthy of it. If she'd known Professor Morra was going to catch them anyway, she'd have been less kind with her choice of spells.

"I don't care that they started it. I saw you hurling hexes at them just the same! Everybody gets detention, tonight, after dinner." Morana took the chance to stick her tongue out at Briallen while Professor Morra was not facing her.

"Yes, ma'am," replied Dante politely. "Brady, Ana – let's go do our homework." Brady and Morana nodded and followed Dante up the stairs that led to the boys' bedrooms.

"Briallen, I had originally came in here to tell you that your grandfather would like to speak with you before dinner."

She apparently wasn't going to have the time to go to the library that evening. Briallen, silently disappointed, nodded and followed Professor Morra out of the Withers common room and to her grandfather's office. When they reached the portrait of the first Dean of Bergamot, Professor Meyers, who acted as the door to her grandfather's office, Professor Morra turned and left. Briallen cleared her throat so that Professor Meyers would notice her and let her in.

"Yes, yes," mumbled the old Professor in the portrait as he barely opened his eyes to see who it was that woke him before he opened his portrait. Briallen walked into the Dean's office to see her grandfather crouched by the fireplace, speaking to what looked like a head inside of it. Briallen, having never seen such a thing before, let out a surprised yelp.

Cal Bevin heard her and looked over his shoulder at Briallen, smiled reassuringly at her, and then turned back to the head in the fireplace. "I have a student in here now but I will let Mr Eldred know of our plans as soon as possible. Let us hope Reynard is willing to cooperate."

"Yes… and you will be there tomorrow?"

"It involves my school – of course I'll be there." The head nodded and then disappeared and Cal Bevin stood to greet his granddaughter. "Briallen! Excellent game, dear! It was very exciting and you've gotten quite good at Quodpot. We'll have to invite your parents to the game next week!"

Briallen nodded absent-mindedly, thinking about the head in the fireplace and willing herself not to ask the question about how it was possible. Instead, she asked many others: "Who was that man, grandpa? And what's going on with the school? Where do you have to be tomorrow? Who's Reynard?"

"None of those things are of worry to you, my dear. Just typical, boring, school business. Interviews and such, if you like. Now, take a seat." Cal Bevin motioned to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace as he sat down in the other. Briallen folded one of her legs under her and sat down. "I wanted to talk to you about something specific. Your – _friend_ – Hayden came to speak to me the other day."

Briallen groaned as she realized what this conversation was going to be about. "I'm fine, grandpa, really I am. I'm just a bit tired is all, but winter break is almost here and my parents said I could stay with you, again… I'll rest then."

"You can rest now, Briallen. You're young, you should have time to have fun. Hayden says that all you do is school work and Quodpot. I've spoken with Professor Conleth and she's agreed to give you every third week off." Cal leaned forward and put his hand on Briallen's hand. "Have some fun, Briallen, but safe fun. Be a child while you still can because once you get a real job you will be working for the rest of your life. And for witches and wizards that can be a very, very long time."

"Or until I retire."

"Which is nearly the same. Also, I wanted to share with you my way of organizing things so that I may have some free time. If you would like to see it, that is."

Briallen shrugged. She knew it was best to humor Cal when it came to advice. "Sure, why not?"

Cal Bevin stood up and went to his desk where he opened a drawer and removed a small brown leather book. He then went back to his seat in front of the fireplace. "It's a simple thing. Bought it in a Muggle bookstore: it's a day planner. For each date there are several times listed so that you can write what you need to do for each time period. It helps greatly in organizing everything and it helps relieve my stress because this way I know I am not forgetting anything and I know that while I'm working now, I'll have free time later on." He closed the leather book and handed it to Briallen. "This one is for you. I bought it early this morning."

Briallen took the book from her grandfather and flipped through the pages. "I had something like this at Surry Elementary, but we called it an agenda. I never really used it much but if you think it'll help, I'll give it a shot."

She only told Cal what he wanted to hear. His gift of a day planner was unnecessary and obsolete after the gift she'd received less than an hour ago. She brought her hand to the silver chain around her neck and smiled.

"I hope so," said Cal with an encouraging smile. "I don't want you to burn out before fifth year. You need to have all your wits about you when you take your O.W.L. exam."

Briallen looked up at her grandfather and smiled. "That's what everybody's been telling me."

"Because it's true… now, I suppose you'd like to see your friends?" suggested Cal kindly. Briallen nodded, gave her grandfather a quick kiss on the cheek, and left his office.

Her new necklace weighed heavily on her mind. It had become habit for Briallen to miss dinner due to homework, or Quodpot, or helping Professor Conleth, but that evening, Briallen skipped dinner so that she could read up on her new, much-needed, gift.


	10. Joining The Hunt

Chapter 10: Joining the Hunt

**Chapter 10: Joining the Hunt**

The first year girl waved her wand at the candle and when its wick didn't light on fire, she burst into tears. She waved her wand again, harder this time, but the candle merely swayed and remained unlit. She cried harder. The kids around her didn't notice, however, as they were all having just as difficult a time as she was at lighting their own candles, and because she wasn't the only one crying.

Briallen released an exasperated sigh as she looked around the room. She blamed the weather – it was always the weather now, whenever someone was overly emotional. Ever since her aunt Oka had come to visit during that weird fog and spent the whole time fighting with Meda Bevin. Briallen was sick of putting up with it, and with being one of the few who didn't seem to be affected. Noisily, Briallen slide a chair in front of the teacher's desk, grabbed a candle, and stood on top of the chair and shouted, "Everybody! Attention, please!"

Professor Conleth had only left the room a few minutes ago. There was a strange pounding noise coming from the room above them and since that room was supposed to be empty she had gone to investigate and left Briallen in charge. Briallen was only supposed to make sure the first years didn't set anything other than their candles on fire (they weren't even supposed to be casting spells yet anyway; Professor Conleth just didn't feel like teaching theory that day), but as Briallen watched them fail again and again she decided she had to do something.

She put two fingers to her mouth and whistled sharply. Everybody paused and looked up at her. "Okay, listen carefully: you are all being incredibly _stupid_." The first years stared at her in shock, but a few snickered and others sniffled. Briallen ignored them and held up a candle in one hand and her wand in the other. "You can't just say the spell, wave your wand, and expect the candle to light on fire. You have to picture the flame, in your mind. _Will_ it to appear. If you just wave your wand and shout the spell, you might set anything on fire – like your pants."

A boy sitting in the third row, and who had scorch marks and holes in his pants, blushed deeply and dropped his head.

"Briallen is right," said Professor Conleth from the doorway. "Now everyone try to picture the flame in your mind as you cast the spell… Briallen, may I speak with you in the hall for a moment?"

Briallen hopped off the chair, dropped the candle in the box on her desk, and went to meet Professor Conleth in the hallway. Briallen thought she looked angry, though she wasn't sure why (but suspecting the weather once again).

"Do you know why I want to speak with you in private?" Professor Conleth asked softly. Briallen shook her head, honestly clueless as to what she did wrong. The professor sighed. "You can't just tell the students they're being stupid, Briallen. That's not a good way to teach someone something. A good teacher teaches with positive encouragement."

_I wonder if she's ever actually met Professor Stalkes,_ thought Briallen with an immediately suppressed snicker, as Professor Conleth went into a lecture about how to be a good teacher. _I think he needs to hear this! I don't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times he's called me stupid or ignorant or Squibly in front of the whole class. At least I didn't single anyone out… except for poor Paul, but he really sort of deserved it for being stupid enough to set his pants on fire!_

"I'll remember that," said Briallen as serious a tone as could muster just then, once her Elemental Magic professor had ended her rant.

A loud bang suddenly sounded above them. Professor Conleth frowned. "Why don't you go see if you can find the source of that noise. I suspect students preparing for Halloween… or maybe we have another poltergeist. Either way, if you find out what it is, or who it is, come find me, _please_ – and then I'll take care of it, alright?"

Briallen nodded obediently. Ever since she'd gotten her first detention of her second year all of her teachers, including Professor Conleth, had been dropping not so subtle hints for her to stay out of trouble. Once Professor Conleth returned to her classroom, Briallen took the opportunity to roll her eyes. She'd only been trying to help the kids cast the spell correctly.

_But maybe I was just a little too blunt…_

After all, she'd experienced the very same problem they had, and had been unable to cast hardly any spells right her first few months at Bergamot. Aside from the ones that could get her in trouble.

She looked out the windows into the courtyard while she ambled leisurely down the hallway. There were only a few students outside, some studying, and others playing catch with a BowderBall. She laughed as the BowderBall spun circles around one of the catchers, and hit him repeatedly in the chest and shoulders, until he finally managed to catch it in his BowderBall mitt-net and send it towards the other catcher. BowderBall was a brand new toy, and Briallen wanted desperately to play with it, especially after Toby told her he'd bought a kit during a trip to The Village last weekend – a trip she'd missed because of Quodpot practice and homework.

Suddenly disgruntled, Briallen hopped the stairs to the fourth floor two at a time, and then pulled out her wand. She could hear the mysterious thumping again. With her back against the wall, Briallen glanced around the corner to sneak a peek at the cause of the noise.

She turned away and snorted in disbelief of what she'd seen.

This particular wing of the fourth floor contained all the music related rooms, such as the band practice room, rooms for individual music study, and an instrument rental station. Because regular classes were currently in session though the music wing should have been empty.

But it wasn't.

Today, Melanie Swinton and Grace Daniels adorned the music wing, and Briallen knew that neither of the Platt Princesses played an instrument. She turned her head around the corner again, to get a better idea of what they were up to. They both had their wands out and were aiming at a ledge above them, where the curved roof met the high wall. Several gargoyles, each playing some sort of instrument, lined the ledge. Grace and Melanie were aiming at one such gargoyle, which looked like it was playing a recorder.

"This is retarded," complained Melanie, dropping her wand at her side. "I don't want to play the stupid game this badly!"

"The creepy guard-guy said we just need to bring him a 'musical monster,' and we could play the game. We're the last to collect our entrance piece and it took me and Rex forever to figure out what he meant by 'musical monster,' and now that we have, we're going to get it, and we're going to play his stupid little game, and we're going to win the grand prize," Grace told Melanie icily, waving her finger in the air the whole time.

"It's stuck to the stupid wall, _Grace_, and every time we try to get it down it just puts itself back – and it makes a loud noise too! That teacher almost caught us…"

While Melanie and Grace portrayed themselves to the school as an equally venomous team, it was clearly Grace who was really in charge. With one scathing look and the words, "Fine, I'll find a _new_ partner," Melanie caved against her surprisingly better judgment.

"Now, Rex asked the music teacher about these stupid gargoyles and the teacher said that they're taken down for a, like, scrubbing once a month, so they have to come down somehow," explained Grace calmly. She smoothed back her crow-black hair and then placed her hand on her bony hip in thought.

Melanie, with a groan, pointed her wand at the gargoyle and cried sarcastically, "Come down here you little monster and we'll clean you!"

Surprising both of them, and Briallen, the gargoyle began to tip back and forth, and then it suddenly tumbled out of its spot on the ledge and landed neatly, head up, on the floor. The two girls looked at each, shrugged, and then cast a spell to make it light enough for one of them to carry, wrapped up in a set of outer robes.

Briallen waited until they were gone and then went back downstairs. That was the second time she heard a pair of people mention a 'game' – and both games seemed to require sneaking about the castle. This intrigued Briallen greatly and she decided to tell Professor Conleth she didn't find anything, even though she would have loved to get Grace and Melanie into trouble.

The Platt Princesses had done nothing directly with the threat they made against her the year before, but she frequently overheard them saying nasty things about her and her friends, especially her friends on the Quodpot team. They'd just recently made Kishori Kusagra cry, when after her recovery from Dragon Pox they spread rumors around the school that the girl's green and spotty complexion was the result of her growing into her father's troll genes. While no one truly believed the rumor, they all teased Kishori about it. Conall had been extra hard on Rex that week, and Briallen believed it was meant to be a punishment for Rex's girlfriend being so mean to Kishori.

Briallen decided then and there that she was going to find out what this mysterious game was, and that she was going to play it, beat Grace and Melanie at it, and show them that just because they were seventh years they weren't better than her. She returned to the classroom and explained the non-situation to Professor Conleth and then did nothing for the rest of the block period. At the end of class, Professor Conleth asked Briallen to not show up for the rest of the week – a mandatory break, in which the professor asked Briallen to get some sleep and improve her attitude.

Angry and offended by her professor's demand, Briallen stomped her way down to the dining hall for lunch. For the first time that month, she was actually eating lunch, in the dining hall, with her friends, but only because she wanted to complain to somebody about Professor Conleth, and to tell Toby how she'd seen Grace and Melanie playing a game similar to the one they caught Ricky and Rudy playing.

Breaking tradition, Marisol and Toby both sat at the Wenlock table instead of the Withers table. Across from them was Hayden, who was staring inattentively at his salad while Toby and Marisol laughed and joked about something that had happened to them earlier that day. They quieted when they saw Briallen coming towards them, and Hayden woke up out of his daze and broke into a smile that reached both ears.

"Were you stomping?" Toby asked Briallen as she sat down next to Hayden, who instantly hugged her and kissed her on the cheek.

Briallen acted as if Hayden weren't even there and responded grumpily, "Maybe. Professor Conleth told me I have to take a mandatory break to 'fix my attitude.' I don't _have_ an attitude! I do everything she says!"

Hayden looked positively bursting with happiness at hearing Briallen's supposedly bad news. "And you're not doing your extra training with Ben Beauvais anymore either, which means the two of us can actually spend some time together this week – we can spend the weekend together!"

"All of us," said Toby pointedly, looking directly at Hayden. The other boy didn't notice, however, as he was too busy staring goofily at Briallen.

"Finally!" cried Marisol excitedly. "We haven't spent hardly any time together at all this semester… I miss hanging out with you! It's been so boring, and Dante and his friends won't leave us alone when you're not here."

Briallen groaned. "I'm missing you guys too – and that's not a good thing seeing as we go to the same school and have classes together!"

Marisol nodded hear head in enthusiastic agreement. "Exactly! Hey, do you want me to catch you up on everything?" asked Marisol as she leaned in towards Briallen, grinning. Briallen nodded while she helped herself to a piece of pita bread.

"Well, Shane and I are dating, not that he had much choice." Marisol paused to giggle and wink at Briallen as if they shared some secret about Shane. "And... oh! We found out that Cass is related to the Prices! They're something like third cousins once removed, or something. It was confusing. And speaking of the Price sisters – Lindsay is dating Amir, and Ben's dating Mindy, though I'm sure you already knew about those two. Honestly, I was a little bit hurt when I found out but I have Shane now so I've moved on."

"How about you tell her something other than who's dating who?" suggested Toby, rolling his eyes.

Hayden had now started trying to feed Briallen, loading her plate with everything that had been served for lunch that day. He brought a cucumber slice up to her mouth and poked her with it a few times before Briallen gave in and let him feed her the cucumber, but she shook her head irritably at him while she chewed. This time Toby rolled his eyes at Hayden.

"What's going on in this school that's more interesting or important than who's dating who?" asked Marisol dubiously.

Briallen opened her mouth to tell her friends about the mystery game she'd overheard Grace and Melanie talking about, but Toby spoke up before she could and said, "How about what we read in The Daily Prophet this morning…"

"That's not all _that_ exciting," complained Marisol. "And it doesn't really have anything to do with us."

"What is it," Briallen mumbled. She was trying to keep her mouth shut now, what with Hayden trying to physically shove food in her mouth. This time it was a cherry tomato. Briallen bit hard into it, causing it to pop and squirt its juice on both her and Hayden. He blinked several times, got over it, and began to wipe both himself and Briallen off with a napkin, just as cheerful as before.

Marisol shrugged and began to eat her carrots, and so Toby explained, "They hired a famous wizard to teach a class at Hogwarts over in England or wherever. He's teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts – a class I wish we had here!"

"I wish we had some handsome English teachers here! I'd love a gorgeous English boyfriend," whispered Marisol dreamily.

"You already have a boyfriend," Toby reminded her. Marisol started to respond to him but just then the clock-tower struck noon, and the noise drowned her out.

While waiting for the clock to finish chiming, the friends sat quietly and ate their lunch. None of them heard or noticed Lucan when he ran into the dining hall and to the Withers table.

He stopped and his eyes scanned the half-empty table, before turning his focus to the Wenlocks. His blatant frustration disappeared when he found Briallen with her friends. As inconspicuously as he could, he went over to greet her, just as the clock stopped chiming. "Briallen, um, hello, how are you?" he asked. He sounded scattered and out of breath, but he was still able to concentrate enough to glare at Toby and Hayden. "Could I speak to you? Privately?"

"What for?" Briallen asked nonchalantly. She had actually already decided she'd give in to his request, just so that she could get away from Hayden's coddling. But she didn't want Lucan to know she was so eager to leave her friends and so she pretended she wasn't interested.

"Just meet me in the entrance hall, will you?" Lucan didn't wait for a response before walking away.

"What was that all about?" asked Hayden jealously. Lucan was one of the few people Hayden paid attention to in Briallen's circle, though why was a mystery to her. She knew the Stones and the Van Vlerahs weren't exactly friends, but before she started dating Hayden, he dismissed Lucan without a second thought. Now he asked Briallen about Lucan constantly when they were together, always wanting to know if he was bothering her at all. "I thought that since you're free now, we could finally go to the one place…"

Briallen was already grabbing her things, and doing her best job to look annoyed by Lucan's request. "Tomorrow, I promise," she told Hayden half-heartedly. She had made many such promises to him, but always found an excuse to break them.

"You've been saying that everyday for a week now."

"I mean it this time, really," said Briallen, walking away. She waved goodbye to her friends, who told her to come back soon, and went to meet Lucan in the entrance hall.

Except that Lucan wasn't in the entrance hall. She looked all around the large foyer: up the stairs, at the balconies on the second floor, behind the statues and the banners, down the many hallways that branched off of the main hall, but Lucan just wasn't there. She shook her hair back and growled slightly in anger, but took a seat on one of the benches near the grand front doors. She assured herself that he was probably just in the bathroom under the staircase, but after ten minutes had passed, she wrinkled her nose and hoped that wasn't true.

Kids and professors alike went in and out the front doors and the dining hall, and up and down the stairs as they took advantage of their afternoon break. Since she was sitting by the doors with the perfect view of everybody in the hall, Briallen decided to watch them. People watching was one of her and Marisol's favorite activities, which was why they liked sitting out on the bleachers by the pitch. They favorite game was making up overly dramatic reasons and stories for every person, no matter how bland they seemed to be. She and Marisol got good at picking up small, unusual things about the people they watched.

It was her acute observations that helped her notice that something strange was going on around her just then. Melanie and Grace had appeared at the top of the stairs and were conversing, surprisingly seriously, with Rudy and Ricky, who were both Almericks. They were definitely playing the same game, Briallen was sure of it now because normally the two Platt girls would never even acknowledge the two Almerick boys. Something was going on.

And she believed it didn't just involve the four she knew of – she had noticed Dante and Morana run out the front doors just minutes earlier, and Morana clutching something wrapped in her robes. Neither of them had even noticed her. They would willingly skip a class to prepare an attack on her and yet during their afternoon break they completely ignored her.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," said Lucan, appearing by her side. She'd been so wrapped up in watching Grace and the others at the top of the stairs she hadn't even noticed Lucan approaching her. "I had to pick up something from my room, and I thought you'd take a little longer to join me."

Briallen may not have noticed him at first, but she did notice that he was up to something just like the others. "What on earth is going on around here? I feel like I've missed something."

Grace, Melanie, Rudy, and Ricky walked past them on their way out the front doors. None of them so much as looked twice at Lucan and Briallen. Lucan grabbed Briallen's elbow and as he dragged her outside he explained, "It's a game, but it's a secret game, so you really haven't missed anything. Six of us received invitations to play before the school year started. It asked that we chose a trust-worthy partner to play the game with, and then it gave each of us instructions to find something–"

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before?" interrupted Briallen. They were walking down the path to the greenhouses now, not far behind Ricky and Rudy. She looked over her shoulder and saw Amir and Lindsay following them. Her heart skipped a beat just then, thinking Amir, who was a prefect, was going to stop them but then she saw he also had something hidden in his robes.

"I tried to! But your friends kept showing up, or you ran off, or you were too busy. Anyway, I don't have to tell you everything I do, I'm not your boyfriend!"

Briallen shook her head but ignored the comment. "Alright, so you were saying you all had to find something – find what?"

"It was different for all us, and was either in the form of a riddle or an obscure reference. Mine said 'bring me something where happiness is always found,' so I tore out the page in the dictionary where 'happiness' is listed. The invitation said those who found their entrance piece would meet on Halloween, or if everyone found theirs early, on the day the last was found. It was written rather archaically, but it intrigued me… especially since it came from the Reynard, the clock-tower guard."

"The clock-tower guard?" asked Briallen, raising an eyebrow, just as the two of them stopped in front of the door to the octagonal Bergamot clock-tower. It sat between the green houses, and its stark, gothic architecture seemed out of place amongst the short, glass buildings.

Amir and Lindsay came up behind them. "We should go in, before it starts raining," said Amir, looking at the sky. It was cloudless, but it was a dark blue and the wind was picking up speed.

Lucan agreed and pulled open the oak and iron door to the stone tower.

Inside the clock-tower was an unexpectedly cozy yet messy room with over-stuffed moss-colored sofas and ornate Spanish tiles covered sparsely and randomly with woven rugs. Everywhere there were piles of books and the walls were covered with maps of countries from around the world. Under the circular staircase there was a small black stove with two brassy tea-pots boiling on top, and through the grate Briallen could see red and gold embers. Because there were no windows, the light in the room was provided by a candelabra, which hung in the center of the ceiling and gave the room a dim yellow glow. Briallen felt like she'd stepped back in time, albeit into an indescribable and indeterminate era.

Eight other people were already in the room when they entered, including Melanie and Grace, Rudy and Ricky, and Dante and Morana, both of whom glared at Briallen as she and Lucan took a seat in a large chair near the door. She also recognized Julian 'fast as a hawk' Hawkins, from the train ride to Bergamot, and his game partner, whose name she didn't know but she recognized as a member of the Wenlock Quidditch team. In total there were twelve people, in six groups, and they were overwhelmingly Platts and Witherses. This struck Briallen as odd because she thought Wenlocks would be the most desirable players for a game involving riddles.

A shuffling noise came from the stairwell and all the eyes in the room turned towards it expectantly. A tall, gangly man in a tattered, dusty brown tailcoat and equally dusty brown hair came slowly down the stairs, holding a large wooden chest. He had unshaven stubble on his cheeks, and a slight uni-brow that protruded over his crooked nose, and he smelled as if he hadn't bathed in months.

But nobody teased him on his smell or appearance, and not even a sneer came from Grace or Dante's direction. Everybody seemed to be on their very best behavior and Briallen decided to mimic them, just in case there was a good reason they were all acting like angels.

Reynard used the wooden chest to push a pile of books off the coffee table next to the stairs, and then he dropped the chest unceremoniously on the table. Without even using his wand, he waved his hand and the chest clicked open. Briallen was amazed – her grandfather always went on about the importance of wands, and he always used his own, so to see someone so expertly cast a spell without his wand impressed her greatly.

"Alright lasses and lad-eys," he announced in a scratchy voice. Briallen thought he sounded a little like her grandfather, in that he had an English accent that was somewhat similar to Cal Bevin's. "I want the invitees to come up, one at a time, and put their entrance piece in the chest." He snapped his fingers and a scroll appeared in his hands. "The entrance piece is your signature. After you drop it in, say both your name and your partner's name clearly, so the scroll can record it. I'll give you your clue card then."

"What about the prize?" blurted Melanie. Everybody turned to stare at her, except Grace, who was scowling at her. Embarrassed, she pulled her long, dark hair over her eyes and shut her mouth.

"The prize, I assure you, will be worth a great deal, and tailored to the group who wins the game," explained Reynard slowly. "If you're uncomfortable with the contract, you don't have to play, pretty bird. Just know that if your partner pulls out, you can't play. This is for groups of two only. I'll explain the rules once I know who's playing – now, who wants to go first?"

Grace stood up confidently and walked over to Reynard, keeping eye contact with the clock-tower guard the whole time. She stood at his height, although she wore heels, and Briallen wondered if Reynard found her as intimidating as everybody else did. "We will be playing," she whispered in a tone that sounded more like a challenge than a statement.

From her robes she removed the recorder-playing gargoyle that Briallen had witnessed her and Melanie collect just before lunch, and dumped it into the chest. She turned to face the others and announced loudly, "Grace Daniels and Melanie Swinton are playing this game! And we're going to win." Her dark, black skin glimmered as if covered in diamonds under the light of the candelabra, overshadowed only by the white of her eyes as she glared haughtily at the other teams, silently daring them to contradict her declaration.

Julian was next. He was short and unassuming compared to Grace but he walked with a swagger that showed he believed otherwise. With a mischievous wink at Briallen, he threw an iron arrow into the chest and then turned to face everyone. "Julian Hawkins and Peter Yawberry."

This time Briallen noticed that the scroll glowed as it recorded their names. Rudy was already waiting by the chest, and had thrown in a black quill, while Julian announced he and his partner were playing the game. In almost a whisper, Rudy said, "Rudolf Brodzki and Godric Guffs." And just as quickly as he'd gone up to the chest, he returned to the sofa he shared with Ricky.

Dante took his turn next and put a what looked to Briallen like a tennis ball in the chest, and then announced loudly his and Morana's names. Following Dante was Amir. Amir was faster than Rudy. He threw a stuffed snail into the chest and said loudly his and Lindsay's names on his way back to his seat.

The only person left now was Lucan. He looked to Briallen to confirm she wanted to play. She nodded; she wanted to play Reynard's game very much. Lucan walked timidly to the chest and carefully put a folded piece of paper inside before he turned to Reynard.

Through the his straggly hair, and under his thick brow, Reynard's eyes found Lucan's and didn't let go. Unblinking and unmoving, Lucan declared, "Lucan Stone and Briallen Bevin!"

If Reynard hadn't noticed Briallen before, he certainly did now and for the first time they all witnessed a crack in his stoic exterior. His nostrils flamed and he grit his teeth at the sound of her name. "She wasn't invited!" he screeched.

But it was too late, the contact had recorded her name.

Lucan fell back onto the floor, startled by the frightening man's strange outburst, while everyone else, including Briallen, were taken aback. Lucan recovered quickly and bounced back up to his feet. "You didn't state that in your rules! You said we could chose anyone, and she is my choice!"

Reynard regained his composure and stared icily at Briallen for what felt to her like ages, but was only seconds. "That's just fine, lass," he muttered, as if he hadn't reacted at all out of the ordinary. "Now the rules. I gave each of you invitees a blank, white card. Tomorrow morning, you'll find your first clue on it. There are four clues in all, and they'll be the same ones for each of you."

Several of the teams grumbled but no one spoke out. Melanie bit her lip and glared at the floor. She was clearly the one most unhappy with this news. Reynard continued. "You won't see the next clue on your card until one of you finds the answer to the previous clue."

Melanie was puffing up and turning pink. She couldn't hold her question any longer. "They how do we _win_… this game isn't fair!"

"The team to collect the last clue piece wins the game," said Reynard with a crooked smile that made Briallen uneasy. "This last bit is important tykes: when you collect a clue piece, bring it to me immediately! And tell no one of this game."

Lindsay tentatively raised her hand, unwilling to blurt out her question like Melanie. With a low growl, Reynard nodded to her. "What about other rules, like no casting spells on other teams, or no stealing another team's clue card?"

"No rules," he replied slyly, drawing out the last word to the point where he sounded like he were hissing. "Is that a problem pretty, little badger?"

Lindsay shook her head almost imperceptibly. He slammed his trunk shut, and they all jumped slightly at the loud noise. "Now get out of my clock-tower!" he growled at them all before disappearing back up the stairs he had first come down.

None of the teams said anything to each other as they left the clock-tower. It had stormed while they were inside and there were now large puddle of muddy water everywhere. Grace and Melanie began complaining instantly about the mud, and their hair, and their shoes, as if they hadn't just taken part in a weird ceremony with the scary clock-tower guard.

Next to greenhouse two stood Professor Stalkes, still as a statue, not even his hair moving in the wind. His eyes followed them all but he said not a word. Briallen had quickly gathered that this game they were playing with Reynard was most likely against the rules and with Professor Stalkes watching her, she was worried that he somehow might know what they were up to.

"Did you notice I'm the only Summerbee?" mumbled Lindsay. They were walking against the wind and it had made tears form in her eyes, and for a moment Briallen thought the Price girl was actually crying.

"Peter and I are the only Wenlocks," added Amir. "You'd think he'd invite more Wenlocks – I don't normally hold for stereotypes, but we do have the most clever students than any other house. Instead, there's a bunch of Platts and Withers, and they're mostly all bad eggs."

"You heard him, though: _no rules_," said Briallen, before Lucan could begin an argument with the Wenlock prefect. "I think he was looking for people who were smart, but who would also do whatever's necessary to win the game."

"But Amir and Julian are _prefects_," argued Lindsay as they entered the great hall and were greeted with a burst of warm air.

"But we're also both highly competitive." Amir and Lindsay continued up the stairs with their conversation, leaving Briallen and Lucan at the dining hall doors. Inside the dining hall, Briallen could see Toby, Marisol, and Hayden were still at the Wenlock table.

"We can meet tomorrow in the library, at around lunch time," suggested Lucan, glancing behind Briallen and at her friends.

"Yeah, I'll see you then," agreed Briallen. With a nod, Lucan wandered off. Briallen put on a smile and returned to her friends, already prepared with a boring story to tell them in place of her real adventure.


	11. The First Clue

Chapter 11: The First Clue

**Chapter 11: The First Clue**

Thursday was Briallen's favorite day of the week for a number of reasons: Quodpot practice was in the evening, so she got to sleep in late; her first class was with Marisol, then she had a break, and then she had _another_ class Marisol; she had lunch with her grandfather; and she had a day off as Professor Conleth's student aide (not that she could have gone in that day if she wanted, since the professor had made her take a week off). Today she had another reason to be excited, though – she and Lucan were receiving their first clue in Reynard's scavenger hunt.

She had been craving some excitement, which contradicted her on-going desire to show the world she was capable of being dependable and mature. But she had been so good these last few weeks, and it was Halloween now – she was expected to have a bit a fun and maybe break a few rules or get a detention or two.

Professor Morra was currently contemplating helping Briallen to achieve the latter as she reminded Briallen, yet again, to pay attention in Spell-Working that morning. Marisol giggled and Toby bit his tongue to keep from laughing, while the professor shook her head at all three of them.

Briallen couldn't help herself from day-dreaming that day, and she'd just had an excellent one in which she and Lucan had to ride a dragon out of Gringotts after breaking into a special vault to acquire their clue piece, which was the wand of Merlin himself. She was too excited to wait until lunch for them to work on their clue and decided she was going to find her scavenger hunt partner after class.

She also decided she should pay attention to Professor Morra, who was speaking to the class again. "And now that we've finished work on our congealing spells and charms, I'd like to move on to hardening spells, in particular the Duros Spell. Unlike congealing spells, hardening spells cannot be cast on any type of liquid. It can only be used on that which is solid in its natural state, aside from a living creature. Would anyone like to suggest an example of something that would benefit from a hardening spell?"

"A soggy piece of bread!" shouted a boy from the back of the room. The class laughed, and so did Professor Morra.

"That is technically correct! A soggy piece of bread is an excellent example. If someone cast the Duros Spell on it, they would end up with a stale piece of bread, hard as a rock. Unfortunately that'd also be quite pointless, though I thank you for your contribution Mr Isbill. The most common use of a hardening spell is to petrify wood for use in potions."

"What's the point in petrifying wood if you're just going to cook it in a potion?" Toby asked Marisol in a whisper.

While Marisol could be best described as boy-crazy and just a little ditzy, she was a true Wenlock, in the sense that she had an answer for everything (whether or not she was right) and now was no exception. "Petrified wood has different properties than regular wood, silly!"

"That is absolutely correct, Marisol. The point in petrifying wood for potions is that petrified wood has completely different properties than wood in its natural state. It's quite unusual to make a potion with living wood. We use fresh or dried fruits, flowers, and leaves, of course, but wood is different from any of those – there are so many possible properties in a piece of wood, you can't really be sure what you'll come out with. That's why witches and wizards mostly just use wood for wand-making, and why we petrify it when used in other ways."

Briallen had to force herself to concentrate to what Professor Morra was saying, and it was a good thing she did, as the next thing the professor said was that there would be a quiz the following Tuesday on the uses of hardening spells. Finally class let out.

"I still think Duros is a silly spell," said Toby matter-of-factly, once they'd left the room.

Marisol chuckled and shook her head. "So what are we doing for Halloween this Saturday? Tinna says there's going to be a wicked party in the north wood – _invite only_."

"Wicked?" asked Briallen, unfamiliar with the use of that word in such a way.

"You really need to start socializing more!" said Marisol, flabbergasted by her friend's question. Even Toby laughed at Briallen. "You're on the Quodpot team, which means you're an athlete, which means you _should_ be popular…"

"What Marisol is trying to say is that she only _overheard_ Tinna talking about a party, and wasn't actually invited and she wants you to try and get us invited," Toby explained helpfully.

The idea of a costume party out in the north wood made Briallen nauseous. For two months she hadn't had any nightmares – she'd been too busy to have nightmares, but now… She wasn't ready just yet to go back out into the woods. "I don't think I'll be able to. Those parties are thrown by the older kids, for the older kids."

"You should still try! Anyway, have you and Hayden picked out your costumes yet? I assume we're still going trick or treating at least, right?" asked Marisol.

Marisol sat down on one of the couches in the communal common room in the first floor of the portrait hall, and Briallen sat next to her. Toby wandered off to the snack bar to order them all some hot cocoa from the vending elf.

"Me and Hayden?" said Briallen, confused. She hadn't thought about costumes at all, or even Halloween, until last night. And she had just assumed that she, Marisol, and Toby would be dressing up together like they had the year before.

"Well, yeah. Shane and I are going as Brenda Lance and Cordry Teabo."

"Cordry Teabo?"

"Hello! Her new boyfriend! He's the drummer for Vacuumed!" Marisol looked at Briallen liked she were crazy. "By Merlin, you really do need to catch up!"

"How am I supposed to keep up? She's got a new guy every week!" snapped Briallen. Marisol stared at her, shocked. With a sigh, Briallen dropped her head in her hands. "I'm sorry for biting your head off like that. I've got a lot on my mind, you know I didn't mean it." Marisol sniffed and shrugged.

"You've been acting really weird for the past few weeks," said Toby seriously, setting their cocoas down on the table in front of them.

"It's just school and Quodpot," Briallen mumbled into her mug just before taking a long sip of the silky chocolate drink.

"No, it's more than that. You had practice and homework before, back in September, and you weren't this… _snappy_, then. Did something happen? Did someone forget your birthday? If it's about the party, we were planning one but–"

"No, no," said Briallen, stopping Toby from needlessly apologizing, and from stumbling onto her secret – her secret that nobody knew anything about but he seemed to suspect. "I know everybody was busy, and I'm used to not having birthday parties anyway. I guess it's just the weather."

Marisol and Toby both rolled their eyes this time. The weather had become Briallen's excuse for everything even remotely relating to people's emotions, and since the weather had been mostly bad for the last few months, she of course believed everyone was mean and bitter and out to get her, including Professor Conleth, as she'd explained to her friends the other day at lunch.

"So you and Shane are going as Brenda and her new boyfriend… what about you Toby?" asked Briallen, doing her best to act as she would normally.

"Me, Dax, and Abe are going as the Three Musketeers," Toby confided with a wide grin. He'd wanted to be a musketeer the year before, but there hadn't been time enough to find the proper costumes.

Briallen was somewhat insulted that neither of her two best friends had bothered to ask her to be a part of their theme costumes. She didn't even know if Hayden had a costume or not, and Halloween was in only two days. "I guess me and Hayden will, um…"

Marisol waited a moment to see if Briallen would finish her sentence, and when she didn't, Marisol chimed in, "I heard him say a few days ago that he wanted you guys to go as Robin Hood and Maid Marion. And that he was looking at costumes at that toy shop in The Village. Maybe you should ask him."

"I will," said Briallen with a nod. She liked Robin Hood well enough, though she resented the idea of being damsel-in-distress Maid Marion. To avoid being the only kid at Halloween without a costume, however, she was willing to dress as anything, even a werewolf. She shuddered at the thought. "You know, I'll go find him now."

"Oh, good!" said Marisol, clapping her hands together happily. "He's been so down lately, you know, because he hasn't gotten to spend much time with you, as your boyfriend and all."

Briallen knew what Marisol was hinting at and she looked poignantly at her innocently wide-eyed Latina friend. Toby seemed oblivious, thankfully, otherwise Briallen would have been blushing more scarlet than the sofas they were sitting on. She didn't actually plan on going to find Hayden, though. While she acted as her friends expected her to act, her thoughts were on the first clue.

Briallen bounded up the steps to the library. Lunch wasn't for almost two hours, but there was twenty minutes before the next block started and she was hoping Lucan had decided to go to the library for some early research.

There was a surprisingly large number of kids in the library when she entered. Mrs Shan even had two house-elves helping her check out books at the front desk. It was clear some classes still had mid-term exams to administer.

Briallen looked for Lucan but didn't seem him in the mass of students in the main part of the library. She began going down the rows of bookcases and looking in through the widows in the doors to the study rooms. Finally she found him in the very last study room. She took a deep breath, to calm herself, and then went in.

The deep breath didn't help.

"Tell me the clue, tell me the clue." The words burst from her mouth like steam from a kettle as she jumped into the chair closest to Lucan, startling him.

He stared at her wide-eyed, which always made Briallen uncomfortable because with his eyes wide open she couldn't avoid looking directly into them. This bothered her because his eyes were so dark it was almost impossible to spot his pupils. As images of demons and werewolves flashed through her mind, she stammered, "Please."

Lucan lowered his eyes and mumbled something Briallen didn't understand as he pulled a small white card, no bigger than the average business card, out of his robes' inner pocket. He placed it carefully on the notebook he'd been writing in when Briallen first entered, and Briallen saw now that he'd been writing about the clue, not doing his homework. She leaned over and silently read the clue card:

_I'm in abyss at most times,_

_I am rooted to the earth,_

_I'm in actuality the sublime,_

_I am glistening in mirth._

_I'm as omphalos, in shape and size,_

_but I'm natant in my other guise,_

_and I'm incandescent as the moon,_

_So I'm treasured by the wise,_

_but I'm exquisite most when in tune,_

_which is only why I rise. _

She sighed irritably. She wasn't a fan of riddles. The only ones she'd ever actually known were the ones her grandpa Ben used to tell her before he died, and she always struggled with them. But those riddles were easy compared to the one she'd just read, which looked more like nonsense than English.

"What on _earth_ does all that even mean? None of it makes sense," she muttered, reading it again.

"It's a riddle, it's not supposed to make sense right away. I've already started trying to decipher each line. Natant means something like swimming, and guise could mean a sort of manner or habit. The line refers to its _other_ guise, telling us that sometimes this thing lives in water," explained Lucan slowly and carefully, making sure Briallen understood what he was saying. "And the first two lines of living in abyss and being rooted to the earth suggest a cave… so sometimes it lives in water, and at other times it lives in the earth, in caves."

"It could be a dragon!" whispered Briallen in shaky excitement, convinced her day-dream was coming true. She was so ecstatic at the thought of catching a dragon she was breathing erratically, and shaking with energy she was just waiting to spend on the dragon. Lucan snorted but then tried to cover it with a fake sneeze. Briallen glared at him. "It could be a dragon! There are water dragons and land dragons!"

"Reynard said, specifically, to bring him each clue piece once it was found. We couldn't very well bring him a _dragon_. They're illegal to own, not to mention there is no way we could capture one. It can take at least _seven fully qualified_ dragon wranglers to take down one _adolescent _dragon! And we're just two scrawny second years. Use your brain, Briallen, really. It's why I chose you for my partner." He muttered his last sentence with a sighed.

"I am! I'm thinking outside the box," snapped Briallen. "And I was just trying to be helpful."

"I know," replied Lucan quietly. "Now, seriously, what do you think? Is it in any way… _Muggle-ish_ to you?"

"Muggle-ish?"

"Does it remind you of anything from your Muggle upbringing?" he said, exasperated.

He was unaware he'd offended her, though she was unsure why she was offended. Instead of answering his question, she offered, "Look, it says 'as omphalos.' That means it's like something, right? Well, omphalos sounds like a name, so maybe it's talking about a person?"

"Alright, now that is helpful. We'll start there at lunch… I'll make you a copy of the clue before I go," he mumbled, already tearing a sheet of paper from his notebook for Briallen. He scribbled the clue down quickly and then folded it and gave it to Briallen.

"I know we're not supposed to tell anyone about the game, but do you think we can at least ask someone about the clue?" asked Briallen while they collected their things from the table.

"Best to stay on the safe side and just not tell anybody anything. I have a feeling Reynard would somehow know if we said anything."

They looked at each other knowingly. Reynard made them both wary, especially after his outburst over Briallen, and the fact he knew wandless magic. She was suspicious but looking forward having fun, and so she pushed her suspicions from her mind.

While Lucan went to his next class, Briallen went out to the pitch to practice Quodpot with Toby, Abe, Cass, and, amazingly, Kimmy, during their free period.

She had gotten much better at Quodpot since the start of school and though her broom-work still left something to be desired, she was great at catching and throwing. She and Rex actually complemented each other in that way – she was the broom-challenged catcher and thrower, and he was the flyer with the butter fingers. It also meant they sometimes competed more against each other than against the opposing house teams. Whenever she could be found outside flying, he could be found outside, throwing and catching.

Even now, when Briallen was sure he was supposed to be in class, Rex was next the pitch, practicing his throws using a BowderBall. His girlfriend, Grace, sat in the bleachers next to him but she was watching Briallen, not Rex. Briallen ignored her. She knew joining the game would bring unwanted attention from the Platt Princesses, and that since there were no rules something bad was bound to happen.

But Briallen wasn't going to start anything. She was going to wait for them to initiate a fight so that she could claim self-defense.

Toby threw the BowderBall they were practicing with at Kimmy, who immediately took her hands off her broom and brought them up to protect her face and screamed shrilly. The BowderBall spun circles around her, occasionally popping out of its rotation to bop her in an arm or in her stomach.

Cass and Toby laughed nearby. "You have to catch it, Kimmy!" Toby shouted at her. "It won't hit your head, it's not enchanted that way!"

"I don't want to catch it!" cried Kimmy.

Briallen had no idea why Kimmy even agreed to go out to the pitch with them in the first place. Even Abe, who was cautious and timid in nature, eagerly helped Briallen practice Quodpot with actual Quods and not just the soft, little BowderBalls. She flew over to Kimmy though to get the BowderBall away from her. She took hold of Kimmy's broom to steady both herself and Kimmy before she began trying to grab at the small, red ball spinning in ever faster circles around Kimmy.

She wobbled to left suddenly, and turned Kimmy's broom with her. Kimmy screamed louder and brought her hands back down to her broom handle right away and tried to pull away from Briallen. Briallen tightened her grip on Kimmy's broom and tried to keep the other girl from pulling away. The two girls spun left and right and up down. Kimmy was so absorbed in trying to get out of Briallen's vice grip, and Briallen was so absorbed in trying to get Toby's BowderBall away from Kimmy, that neither girl noticed the Bludger that was hurtling towards them.

Toby, Cass, and Abe began screaming at them to move out of the way. Kimmy stopped struggling when she heard them and looked around her. The Bludger was almost at them and moving very fast. Still screaming, Kimmy launched herself at Briallen and the two girls toppled to the ground, just as the Bludger hit the end of Kimmy's broomstick, causing both brooms to spin off and hit the ground.

Toby was the first to land and the first to reach Kimmy and Briallen, who were sprawled on the ground. Briallen sat up and began screaming at Kimmy, "What's the matter with you?! I was trying to get that stupid ball away from you and you go and _attack_ me!"

Kimmy's cheeks were stained with tears that were still flowing, and she was clutching her ankle and whimpering. "I'm never playing this game with you ever again!" she cried in great heaving sobs.

"She was trying to duck the Bludger, Briallen, not attack you!" said Toby, pointing to the large Bludger stuck in the ground just a few feet from where they'd landed.

"There's no one playing Quidditch," said Briallen as she examined the Bludger. It was still moving, trying to dislodge itself from the earth surrounding it. Briallen threw herself on it and then yanked it out of the ground. It struggled against her but she held tight.

"It just came out of the sky, out of nowhere," explained Abe.

He held the two pieces of the school broom Kimmy had borrowed from the broom shed, while Cass held Briallen's personal broom. Half of the school broom's handle had splintered off, and the twigs of both brooms were bent or snapped. A small part of the tip of Briallen's broom handle had also splintered off. Briallen frowned at the brooms.

"I bet it was Dante," said Toby as he scowled in the direction of a large willow tree that sat between two sets of bleachers next to the pitch. Dante sat under the tree with his nose in a notebook and two large tomes next to him.

Grace still sat in the bleachers near where Rex had been practicing his throwing, though they were both now watching Briallen and her friends, and were smiling and laughing at them. She also noticed Julian Hawkins leaving the equipment tent. He wore his Quidditch padding and had a broom in his hands.

Three of her opponents in the scavenger hunt, all wanting badly to win. Three people she knew had no problem fighting dirty. It could have been any of them that set the Bludger loose – Reynard did say there were no rules. She wished she could share her thoughts with her friends, who were currently busy helping Kimmy to stand. But that was Reynard's demand – don't tell anyone about the game.

"I think she broke her ankle," said Abe, worried, as he helped support her.

"She'll be fine," muttered Briallen. "Mrs Krause can fix broken bones overnight."

"Thanks for your concern!" cried Kimmy sarcastically. She turned back to Abe. "Help me to the nurse's office, please?" He agreed and they began wobbling slowly away.

"I'll come with," said Cass, with one last quick glance at Briallen.

Toby and Briallen followed their classmates at a distance, stopping when they got the equipment tent so that Briallen could return the Bludger to its proper trunk. With effort, she managed to put it away and then they made their way to the broom shed. During the day a house-elf manned the broom shed, so that students wouldn't go in and out of the shed all the time or forget to return their brooms. If a student wanted a broom, they had to check one out, an hour at time, from the broom shed elf who was very protective of his charges.

"We had an accident," Toby explained to the broom elf with an apologetic grin. The broom elf didn't smile back, he only grunted, took the two pieces of the broom, and asked for the name of the person who rented it. "Kimmy Moseley – it wasn't her fault though. Someone threw a Bludger at her."

The broom elf made an illegible note next to Kimmy's name and then said, "Off with yous!" They heard him mutter 'little vandals' as they left.

As they were walking back to the school to clean up for lunch, Briallen had to bite her tongue to keep from telling Toby everything about Reynard's game, and from explaining to him that she thought the Bludger was meant specifically for her. She didn't have to though as Toby had come to that conclusion on his own.

"I think it was Dante. He's been attacking us left and right, trying to get back for the Boggart last year, I think," he mused while they walked into the dining hall. It was still too early for lunch but they sat down anyway.

"I think you might be right. He's such a snot, and not even smart enough to come up with something unique. He just throws things at you and hopes you get hurt," said Briallen, putting her broom down on the table in front of them. "And look what he did to my broom! Grandpa's going to kill me, seriously. I haven't even had it for a year!"

"You're just lucky you and Kimmy ended up switching places because that thing was going straight for your head. And that's no BowderBall – that Bludger would've done some serious damage!"

Toby was right. That Bludger was meant to knock her out, possibly to make her quit the game. Her opponents underestimated her though, and the attack had only made her even more determined to beat them all at the game.

She wasn't sure if it was the idea of being hit in the head with a Bludger or exhaustion, but just then a powerful headache made her wince in pain. She brought her hand to her head and tried to shake it away.

"You okay?" asked Toby, concerned.

"Fine, I'm fine, really," mumbled Briallen, her head still in her hands. "Just a headache."

"You've been getting those a lot lately," he said slowly. For a moment, Briallen thought he might know her secret, but she looked into his eyes and realized he was still searching for it. Everyone else was oblivious to her odd behavior, everyone except Toby.

And she had to find a way to fix her problem before he found out. She knew how sensitive he was about friends keeping secret from each other and she feared he might never forgive her for keeping such a big secret from him.

"Really, Toby, I'll be fine. Hey, help me think of some costume ideas for me and Hayden," she said with a fake smile.

Toby knew she was changing the subject but he played along, and began suggesting silly things like Mr and Mrs Frankenstein, or a Quod and a cauldron, and made Briallen laugh. When lunch finally began and Hayden arrived, followed by Marisol and Shane, Toby and Briallen were laughing so hard they were pink and had tears streaming down their faces.

"What's so funny?" Hayden asked, desperate to be let in on the joke the two friends shared.

"We," began Briallen, before stopping to laugh again. She paused and took several deep breaths while fanning herself with her plate. "We were talking about Halloween. Costumes and stuff."

Hayden's eyes lit up. "I have costumes for us! I knew you were busy and would probably forget so I did everything!"

"What?" asked Briallen, her smile slowly turning to a frown. Her parents always said relationships were about making decisions together, so Briallen didn't understand how or why Hayden could choose their Halloween costumes without even speaking to her, or even asking her if she wanted to dress up with him.

"I'm Robin Hood and you're my Maid Marion!" He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her before kissing her forehead. "I'll bring you your costume tonight after dinner, and then walk you to Quodpot practice. I can stay and watch tonight! I finished all my homework during Humanities, since Professor Westcar was sick and we had a sub."

"Oh, okay," said Briallen with a small smile and a nod. He sounded so proud she didn't want to burst his happiness and tell him that she'd rather be Robin Hood.

"I've already got my Brenda Lance costume figured out!" blurted Marisol in one long stream of words. Shane sat quietly next to her, occasionally watching her as she described their costumes. Briallen silently wished that Shane was her boyfriend and Hayden was Marisol's, convinced that she was better suited than Marisol to have a silent, shy boyfriend.

But by the end of lunch her thoughts were solely focused on Halloween. She'd forgotten Reynard's game, her run-in with the Bludger, and Hayden's unintentionally controlling ways. Tomorrow night they were going trick or treating and collecting large amounts of candy, and she was very excited.

O O O O

"Whoa, Briallen's wearing a dress!" announced Noelle in humorous, and phony, amusement as Briallen walked out of their shared bathroom wearing her Maid Marion costume.

Briallen stuck her tongue out at her friend who was covered in glitter and wore a pair of fluttering wings on her back. Chante and Kimmy giggled from Chante's bed, where they were working on doing each other's faces up with overly glamorous make-up. Briallen still wasn't quite sure what their costumes were, but the girls kept saying silly words and phrases like 'gat' and 'cat's meow,' which didn't seem to fit what they were wearing.

"I wear a dress almost everyday for school," said Briallen, rolling her eyes. She was in front of her dresser mirror now, trying to figure out how to put on the silly hat that came with the outfit.

The dark blue dress she wore had been enough of a hassle for Briallen to put on. The costume was a 'one size fits all' dress, which meant in the wizarding world that it was excessively large until you put it on and it could shrink to fit you. She was swimming in fabric trying to find where her head and arms were meant to be, and when she finally did find the correct holes, the dress re-sized itself so quickly it pulled the hem out from under her feet and caused her to fall on her face on the bathroom floor. The hat was even more frustrating though because it didn't look like any hat she'd ever seen and she had no idea how to wear it.

Noelle finished applying another generous layer of glitter to her face, wiped off her hands, and went to help Briallen. "Just let me braid you hair – and put some glitter in it!"

"Okay… but no glitter," replied Briallen quickly. She was glad it was dark out already because Noelle had so much glitter on her now that if she walked out in the sun she risked blinding everybody.

Noelle sighed and nodded her head, crestfallen. While Noelle braided her long hair, Briallen looked over a sheet of paper Marisol had given her, with tips on spells for doing make-up. When she and Hayden had first started dating, Briallen approached Marisol and asked her friend to show her how to put on make-up, because she wanted to look nice for Hayden. But after being poked in the eye with Marisol's wand several times, Briallen gave up. She no longer even cared whether or not she looked pretty for Hayden.

But it was Halloween night and everyone, even many of the boys, wore make-up on Halloween. She decided to try just the mascara spell. Holding the sheet of paper in one hand, and her wand in the other, Briallen said, slightly haltingly, "Aquilaum Oculus Capillus!"

A puff of smoke came out her wand. Briallen waved it away and looked in the mirror to see how it had worked. Her eyelashes looked as they always did but her eyebrows were black as ink. Chante and Kimmy were laughing so hard, Kimmy nearly fell off her friend's bed.

"I'll fix it," said Noelle soothingly as she put a hair tie at the bottom of Briallen's braid. Noelle raised her wand a said a spell Briallen hadn't heard before. Frantically, Briallen checked her reflection again and was relieved to see her brows were their normal dark brown. "I don't know make-up spells, though, so I can't do it the right way for you."

"I can!" said Chante with just a little too much enthusiasm.

"Thanks, but no thanks. I have to go meet, you know, my friends," said Briallen as kindly as possible as she grabbed her wand and an empty pillowcase and rushed out of the room before Chante forced her to be her make-up guinea pig.

Briallen loved Halloween, mostly because of the crazy costumes so many of the kids wore at Bergamot. Most of the costumes were much more realistic than Muggle costumes thanks to magic. She was surrounded by rock stars, fairies, vampires, dragons, and gnomes. On her way to the dining hall she noticed several girls in her year were dressed as Circe with long, silver hair and sparkling white robes, and she suspected this was only because they had just began learning of the famous witch in their History of Magic class.

The dining hall was chaotic, but thankfully Marisol had been smart and suggested that they all meet by the front doors instead of in the dining hall. They'd be skipping dinner, but they were going trick or treating anyway – and making more room for candy, according to Marisol.

A pair of arms were suddenly wrapped around and Briallen she started, and spun around to yell at whoever was touching her, only to see it was Hayden. He wore a green top and trousers, with brown leather boots, a funny hat with a feather in it, and a quiver full of (blunted) arrows. It took Briallen a moment to take it all in, and when she had, she burst out laughing at her boyfriend's funny costume.

"I know I look a bit like a dork," said Hayden with a bashful smile. "But we were supposed to look dorky together – you're missing your silly hat!"

"I didn't know how to put it on, so Noelle did my hair for me," Briallen argued playfully, still smiling.

"Is Noelle wearing a lot of glitter?"

"Yep, she's a fairy princess – a glittery fairy princess. She tried to put some of that stuff on me, but I said no."

"I don't think she gave you much of a choice in the matter, then," laughed Hayden. "It's all over you hair and your back!" He pulled away from her and held up his palms, which had been resting on Briallen's back, and showed her the glitter that covered them. Briallen groaned and began trying to brush the glitter off of her.

"You look nice, Briallen!" said Marisol as she bounced over to her friend. Shane ambled casually behind her. "I like the glitter! I was going to wear glitter too, but I thought it'd be too much sparkle with the sequins." Marisol wore an orange, sequined outer robe, over a white shirt and carefully torn jeans, just like the outfit their Brenda Lance dolls came with. She brought her wand up to her mouth like it was a microphone and began to sing, poorly, "All I wanted was a good wizard who would care for me, not a wizard who's just a great big cry baby!"

Shane looked at the floor, blushing, while Briallen and Hayden laughed. "Let's leave the singing to Brenda," joked Briallen. "Where's Toby?"

"He's staying for dinner and then going out with Dax and Abe, and I think Elodia and Noelle might be going with them too…" said Marisol with a shrug.

"Well if we're not waiting for anyone else, let's go already," said Shane, his pink cheeks dimpling with a smile. "We'll get all the best candy before them!"

The four of them ran outside to one of the carriages waiting to take kids to The Village. Pushing and shoving each other playfully, they piled into the first empty carriage they found and made their way to the nearby wizarding village.

After two hours of trick or treating in the strong valley wind they were exhausted, and Shane was no longer the only one with pink cheeks. The wind was biting, and it had even snowed at one point, but they were determined to visit every house in The Village. By the time they'd finished and stepped into The Bubbling Cauldron for some warming refreshments, their pillowcases overflowed with their bounty. After collecting a few sickles to pay for four mugs of warm butterbeer, Hayden left them all at a table near the center of the room and went to the bar to collect their orders.

"I will give you all of my pecan gnomes, because Shane and I don't like those – yuck – in exchange for your Cocoa Pipes, since I know those make you sick," Marisol told Briallen authoritatively, making a note on the pad of paper she'd pulled out of her purse. "And I'll trade you five chocolate galleons for one chocolate peach."

"Sounds good," agreed Briallen. "So, what are you guys doing after we warm up?"

"Definitely not the hedge maze," said Marisol, shivering. While she didn't actually participate in the fight with the snatcher in the hedge maze the year before, Marisol was still unsettled by the idea that snatcher had gone into the haunted hedge maze to kidnap her. Briallen nodded in agreement. She had taken part in the fight and it had landed her in a month-long coma and put her off of haunted mazes for good.

"I think we're going to The Yellow Room," mumbled Shane with a shy smile.

Marisol smiled happily and giggled, and then quickly said to Briallen, "You and Hayden can come along too, if you want."

Marisol knew full well Briallen's aversion to the frilly pastel café just down the street from the train station, and how all the yellow and pink made her sick to her stomach, but she was being polite and asking Briallen along anyway. Briallen shook her head just as Hayden returned with their butterbeers.

They continued discussing how to divvy up their candy haul while they warmed up, until finally Marisol couldn't wait any longer and dragged Shane away to go to The Yellow Room. Shortly after, Hayden and Briallen left as well.

They walked hand in hand down to the train station, where the carriages waited.

"This was a much better Halloween than last year," said Hayden slowly.

"Yeah, no one's tried to kill me yet! That's always nice," laughed Briallen. Hayden chuckled a little but he disliked it when Briallen joked about her near-death experiences and tried not to encourage her to make light of them.

He helped her into a carriage and climbed in after her. Once in their seat, he wrapped his arm around her and the carriage pulled away from the station. "I like that we've been able to spend time together, finally…"

"This is just a little break. I start up my student aide duties again next Wednesday, and then we have our last Quodpot match of the semester just before Thanksgiving, so I'll be training for that a lot… and then finals!" Briallen groaned and put her hand to her head. She really needed to start studying in order to bring her grades up before the semester ended. As it was now, she felt she'd only barely make high enough grades to stay on the Quodpot team.

Hayden groaned a little too, but for a different reason. He had obviously expected to spend a lot of time with Briallen when she agreed to be his girlfriend, but they hardly ever really saw each other. He shifted in his seat to face her.

"Briallen?" he begged quietly.

She brought her hand away from her face and looked at Hayden, expecting him to start lecturing her again on the importance of rest and relaxation.

Instead, her cupped her face in his hands and gave her a real kiss for the first time.


	12. The Verriatis Potion

**Author Note: I've just been made aware that there are some missing scenes between this chapter and the previous chapter. I'm thinking I accidentally deleted them while I was editing / oops! I'll go back and fix that when I have time... hopefully sometime this week or next week. If you would like to know when Chapter 10/11 are edited and fixed, please e-mail me at and I'll send you a personal update. Thank you.**

**Chapter 12: The Verriatis Potion**

She could hardly move.

She had only barely made it through the two weeks following Halloween. It was a Friday now but she couldn't fight it any longer – she couldn't wait for the weekend. She had to give in. Her head was pounding and every little noise echoed loudly inside her ears. Her muscles felt like they were on fire and her bones felt like jelly. She writhed under the covers of her bed and moaned, "Tell the Professors I'm sick, please?"

Noelle pulled on her outer robes and then went over to Briallen. Cass was already standing next to her, looking more intrigued than concerned as she examined Briallen's chalky, sweaty complexion.

"I think we should tell Mrs Krause too," suggested Noelle, her brow furrowed with worry. "You don't look like you've just got a cold or flu…"

Briallen moaned again and shook her head. "I just need some sleep and I'm sure I'll be fine…"

"I have some Restorative Draft in my cupboard," said Cass quietly, as if she might get in trouble for mentioning it. Briallen didn't even bother asking Cass where she had gotten a Restorative Draft, or even why she had it – she just nodded that would like some.

Cass disappeared into the bathroom to get the potion, while Noelle pulled a small trash can from near the door over to Briallen's bedside. "In case you have to throw up," she explained, pointing down to the can. "And if you're not better by lunch when I come to check on you, I am getting a nurse."

Briallen no longer had the strength to acknowledge her friend's statement, only to stare at the room's ceiling. Cass came back with her Restorative Draft and poured a little into Briallen's mouth. Briallen thought she heard Noelle ask Cass why she had the Restorative Draft in the first place but instead of a response, Briallen, strangely, heard the beating of drums.

She woke up hours later, coated in a thin layer of sweat. But she had energy now – at least, enough energy to get out of bed, pull on a pair of jeans, a sweater, and her house slippers, and wander shakily down to the common room which was luckily empty at the moment. She had no idea what time it was but classes were obviously still in session. She'd woken up at the perfect time; she didn't even want to know what she looked like, but she imagined she more closely resembled a zombie than her normal self, and she didn't want the attention her appearance would surely bring.

With some difficulty, she pulled open Sir Lawrence of Woodcroft's painting and stepped out into the portrait hall.

"Oh, dear!" cried Sir Lawrence, swinging shut behind her. "You look like you might be coming down with a case of the Dragon Pox! Or, if I didn't know any better, you look a bit like my cousin Aggie when she came down with Geleftima Flu! Of course, that's just not possible…"

Briallen ignored the portrait and went down the stairs and straight into the library. Mrs Shan was busy collecting books to be shelved and didn't even notice Briallen as she shuffled around the front desk like she were looking for brains to eat. Briallen turned right and went up the short flight of stairs behind the check-out desk, and passed twelve rows of books before finally stopping at a bookshelf labeled 'TT 650 – TV 72' on the side. She walked to end of the row, sat down on the floor and fell backwards.

"Are you feeling alright?" asked Lucan, who had silently followed her down the aisles and watched her fall to the ground.

She opened her red-rimmed eyes to see him kneeling over her. Instantly he pulled away, flushing because she'd caught him looking her over, but he didn't leave. Briallen sat up and rubbed her eyes. "No, I'm sick," she snapped.

He leaned away from her before asking, "With what?"

"I don't know. Flu, strep… Sir Larry suggested I might have Dragon Pox or something called glefpima flu? Which was supposed to be a joke I guess, but I've never heard of it so I didn't get it…"

"Do you mean Geleftima Flu? That's not possible. You have to do a lot of time-traveling to get that," said Lucan with a small smile. "And there's no way you have a time-turner." Briallen stared at Lucan. His smile faded and he stared back, wide-eyed. "You don't actually…"

"I found it on my bed weeks ago! What was I supposed to do with it? Turn it in to my grandpa? I had this crazy schedule and I just thought, at first, I'd use it to make time for homework, but then I needed more time to sleep–"

"This is one of your weird jokes, isn't it?" he said, standing up and taking a step backwards. Briallen, too tired to keep her secret any longer, reached into her sweater and pulled out what looked like a small hour-glass attached to a silver chain. Lucan looked around discreetly to make sure they were alone and then dropped to his knees and began to whisper, "You're insane! Aurors throw people in Onznor for messing with those things!"

"I'm just a kid, Lucan, they're not going to send me to prison for using a time-turner that was _given_ to me," she said, annoyed.

"Maybe not, but you would definitely get into a lot of trouble, Briallen. More trouble than you've ever been in before. Time-turners are severely restricted for good reason. Oh, in the name of Merlin… that means it's very likely you do have the Geleftima Flu." He stared at the books in front of them, thinking, when he noticed what section they were in. "This is the time-travel section, Briallen."

"Of course – I'm not an idiot. I knew this wasn't just a regular flu. I came here looking for answers, preferably a cure." Lucan was already pulling books off the shelf. He pulled one off, looked at the cover, and with a snort of derision, put it back. "Hey, we need to look at all of these books to see what they say about remedies for gafftima flu!" cried Briallen, removing the book Lucan had put back.

"Don't bother with anything by Obdura Hatheart. I've met her a few times – she's Cora's grandmother – the woman is absolutely insane. Every single one of her books is her ranting about the evils of time-travel. They won't have anything helpful in them," explained Lucan. "She doesn't bother with facts."

He was scanning the index of a book larger than the dictionary titled _Side Effects of Time-Travel_. Most of the books on time-travel were large and Briallen didn't have the muscle strength necessary to go through them. Obdura's books, however, were small paperbacks, making them much easier for Briallen to read through.

"_Time Peregrination Paradoxes_, _Why I Hate Time Travel_, _Time Travel is the Devil's Leisure Activity_…" read Briallen as she skimmed the Obdura Hatheart titles. She groaned, realizing Lucan was right because none of those titles sounded at all useful to her situation.

"Here, I found the passage on the Geleftima Flu," said Lucan, putting a dictionary-sized book down on the floor in front of Briallen so that she could read it with him. "There was once only one cure for this unique illness – plenty of bed rest and the cessation of all time-traveling activity. However, in 1825, an ambitious young warlock by the name of Abel Fewter discovered previously unknown magical properties of several stones, including the youth restorative properties of agate. With this new knowledge – and plenty of creativity! – young Fewter created the first ever Verriatis Potion, and marketed it as a cure-all for all physical time-travel ailments, particularly the paradoxical aging process."

Shocked by what she read next, Briallen took over reading the rest of the passage aloud. "The potion proved so popular that incidents of time-travel increased ten-fold! The Ministry of Magic was forced to restrict sale of the potion, until finally they banned it outright in late 1828. The recipe for this potion is now kept under lock and key in the Department of Dangerous Esoterics, along with many of Fewter's other inventions, though one can still find dark alley peddlers claiming to have the potion for sale – whether they have the real deal, or a dangerous generic substitute is unknown, as the Ministry typically finds these peddlers before anyone is stupid enough to buy the potion from them."

Briallen fell back against the wall, brought her knees up, and hid her head between them in resignation.

"We should tell your grandfather," said Lucan seriously. Briallen was shocked. Lucan was the one person she believed was least likely to want to turn to Cal Bevin, and that was why she shared her secret with him. Lucan seemed to know what she was thinking as he added, "He's the only one who could get the recipe and make the potion for you. It's either that or you need to stop using that thing."

She clutched the time-turner protectively. "No! To both choices! We can't tell my grandpa, because he would pitch a fit, and I can't stop using it because it's the only reason I'm able to do all that I do."

"Find. Another. Way." Lucan had his teeth bared in anger, and kept his black eyes locked on Briallen's own, waiting for her to argue further with him.

"Same to you!" she cried, jumping up. Briallen wasn't in her right mind to begin with, and the stress of her current situation had made her even more unstable. Clutching the time-turner tightly, she ran past Lucan and down the aisle.

Cursing, Lucan followed, and the two began a wild chase through the library. It was by pure luck that they weren't caught by Mrs Shan, or anyone else for that matter. It was also lucky that Lucan managed to catch Briallen quickly, though only because of her exhaustion. They struggled over the time-turner when he caught her, but Lucan was stronger and was able to yank it off her neck.

Briallen yelped in pain as the chain snapped against her skin and, in defense, she took a swing. Her fist connected with Lucan's nose. His head snapped back and he lost his footing and tumbled to the ground. Briallen jumped on top of him, trying to pry the time-turner from his fingers. As a last resort she lowered her head and bit into his fist. Lucan somehow kept from crying out in pain himself as he shoved Briallen off of him.

The two of them sat still just then, their backs against bookshelves, and glared at each other, breathing heavily. Lucan's nose and hand were bleeding and Briallen had a trace of his blood on her lips. She wiped it away with the sleeve of her shirt.

"You're not thinking clearly!" growled Lucan. "If you keep using this thing as irresponsibly you are, it _will_ kill you! I mean, really, look at yourself!" She knew he was right, and that fact only made her even more angry. "I'm keeping this for now, and we're going to Mrs Krause."

"And what'll we tell her?" sneered Briallen.

"Lie to her! That's something you're good at, isn't it?" he snapped back.

The silence and the glaring began again. Then, without a word Lucan stood up, helped Briallen to stand, and with her arm over his shoulder, helped her up to the nurse's office before classes let out for afternoon break and anyone saw them.

O O O O

It was two in the morning, Sunday, and Briallen was wide awake. She'd been in the infirmary all weekend and had slept for more than a day and a half, only just now waking up. Mrs Krause nearly had a heart attack when Lucan brought Briallen into her wing on Friday morning, insisting she had never seen anything like it, and suggesting that November was a cursed month for Briallen.

Against her will, Briallen had been forced to take several potions and she remembered nothing else until she woke up an hour ago. On her bedside table were several 'Get well soon!' cards, all of which made a joke about how she was always in the infirmary, except for Hayden's which was really very sad. He had also left her several gifts, such as flowers, stuffed animals, and candy (though Mrs Krause put a note on the candy explaining that she'd spelled the box shut and wouldn't have it opened until Briallen was well again).

And Marisol had been thoughtful enough to collect her homework for her, which is what she should have been doing just then. But, of course Briallen wasn't doing her homework. After plenty of rest, inspiration had struck – she had to work on her and Lucan's first clue!

The answer was nagging her at the back of her brain. She felt she had all the pieces of the puzzle but she just didn't know how to put them together to make a clear picture. She still felt scattered as well, from her frequent use of the time-turner, and from all the potions Mrs Krause had been pouring into her all weekend.

_'I'm as omphalos in shape and size,'_ she thought, tapping her pencil on a page in her notebook. The page was covered in random thoughts and doodles relating the clue. She wrote down all her thoughts as soon as they came to her, planning to make sense of them later. _And Lucan said an omphalos is a giant stone pedestal with religious affiliations… but what does that mean? … Fewter, Fewter, Fewter – I know this name, why do I know this name? How do I know this name? He invented the Verriatis Potion… and something else. He had something else…_

She didn't know if it were two thoughts or memories blending into one as she thought of the warlock Abel Fewter. Whenever she heard his name now she felt a deep desire for the potion he created, the potion she knew would allow her to go back to using her time-turner.

Briallen dropped her head in her hands. She had no idea how she was going to cope with her life without the time-turner, she had become so dependent on its use. She couldn't get it back from Lucan though and she knew it. He was more clever than she was, and just as stubborn. She had to find a way to prove to him that she could use it responsibly… but, she reasoned, that would require the Verriatis Potion.

There had to be something else she could do, until she found a way to get her hands on that potion. Briallen pulled her book bag up onto her bed and began rifling through it. Her fingers found the soft, warm leather quickly, and she gripped the day-planner her grandfather had given her weeks ago and pulled it out. She flipped through its pages, which were all blank. She hadn't used it once.

_Well, better late than never,_ she thought as she began making notes next to dates and times with everything she could remember off the top of her head. She'd show Lucan she didn't need the time-turner and then he would definitely return it to her.

It was rightfully hers after all.

"Briallen, really," whispered Mrs Krause, walking into the infirmary in her nightgown. "You should be sleeping!"

Briallen didn't bother arguing with the nurse; she knew there was no point because Mrs Krause always won. She willingly downed the two potions the nurse gave her and then lied down on her pillow. Mrs Krause put all of her things carefully into her book bag for her and put the book bag next to the nightstand. With a quick kiss on the forehead, and a wish for a good night's sleep, Mrs Krause returned to wherever she had come from and Briallen fell back asleep.

When she woke up next, it was early Monday morning and she was in her own bed back in her dorm room. Cass was standing over her again, but the girl was still in her pajamas, which let Briallen know that she had plenty of time before classes began. "The nurse just dropped you off. She said you're well enough to go to class, but you need to take it easy for a while… and she had an argument with Conall in the common room." Cass paused to chuckle quietly. "He was trying to come up here to get you for your dawn Quodpot practice!"

With Cass's last words, Briallen shot up and jumped out of bed. "I forgot I have practice today!"

"Don't even try to go out to the pitch. Mrs Krause sent Nurse Verena out there to make sure you don't try to go to practice," explained Cass, still smiling. "By the way, what did she say you have?"

Briallen slammed shut her dresser drawer that held her Quodpot uniform. Kimmy mumbled for her to be quiet, and then went back to sleep. Quietly, she began collecting her school uniform and her shower caddy, all the while ignoring Cass's question. On her way to the bathroom, Briallen gave Cass a pointed look, and the other girl shrugged her shoulders in response.

Since she didn't have to worry about Quodpot practice that morning, but she was already up, Briallen decided to take an incredibly long shower. By the time she was finished and dressed, half her roommates had already left for breakfast. Chante left a note on her bed explaining that it was rude to hog the shower. Briallen crumpled it and threw it in the trash can before grabbing her book bag and heading down to the dining hall.

Hayden was waiting for her at the Withers table, and was whispering to Toby who sat next to him. Conall stopped her before she reached them though. The entire Quodpot team sat together, and they were soaked and covered in wet mud.

"Final game is next week, the day before Thanksgiving! You going to be well enough to fly by then?" demanded Conall. Briallen looked right at Rex, who was watching her closely, his eyes narrowed, and she nodded. He frowned. "Good. That jumpy nurse says you can't start practicing again until Friday, though, so you're going to be busy this weekend, learning our new plays."

"I'll help her," said Benjamin with a sigh, but he winked at Briallen.

"Me too," added Mele, smiling kindly.

"Good," said Conall gruffly. "Wenlock's been practicing their throws so we need all our good arms out on the field."

Briallen nodded, and then paused to see if her Captain had anything else to add. He didn't. She leaned back on her heels, told Benjamin and Mele she'd see them later, and went to finally join Hayden and Toby.

"You still look dead," said Toby bluntly. She sat across from the two boys, and felt Hayden's foot tapping her own just then. She looked up at him; he wore an apologetic grin and shook his head.

"Well I had the flu bad," explained Briallen before sticking her tongue out at her friend. She then helped herself to a large helping of eggs and grits. She suddenly felt as if she were starving. "Where's Marisol?"

"Probably still sleeping. She sat by your side most of the night. She was really worried."

"Us too," added Hayden quickly.

That was how the rest of Briallen's breakfast went, and the rest of her day: people telling her how worried they had been for her, and how sickly she still looked. All of her professors let her sit out practical demonstrations, if they had any, and excused her late homework.

At first she liked all the attention but as the day went on it became too much. Especially when Ricky Guffs and Rudy Brodzki ran into her in the hall and lied to her about how they hoped she'd get better soon. Under Rudy's arm, she'd noticed a roll of parchment labeled 'floor plans,' and she realized that she and Lucan were likely far behind in the game. Marisol, shockingly, didn't even bother asking Briallen how it was she knew two upper level Almericks. As soon as the two boys had gone, Marisol went right back to telling Briallen about a prank she'd played on Amon Qusay, one of Dante's friends. Briallen laughed when expected and even threw out a few ideas of what else they could do to Dante and his friends.

When afternoon break finally arrived, Briallen was relieved. While she hadn't done much, physically, that morning, the mental exertion needed to allow everybody to question and coddle her had exhausted her.

"I like the idea of pixies in his underwear drawer," said Marisol thoughtfully, as the two of them left their Ancient Runes class. "But is it too cliché?"

"Does it matter?" asked Briallen, absent-mindedly. Up ahead she noticed Hayden walking in their direction and in his arms he held a picnic basket.

"I guess not. I'd just like to try something a little more clever before we resort to pixies." Marisol wrinkled her nose. Then she noticed Hayden and released a very long 'aww' sound.

Hayden stopped in front of them, blushing. "I thought you might like to get away from all these people for a bit, and have a picnic…"

"It sounds nice, Hayden, but the weather–" Briallen paused to wave a hand at the window they stood next to. Outside, it was hailing, and there was a thick layer of frost on the ground.

"I was thinking about an inside picnic. We could go to the BBN office. It's always empty until about one. And it has a fireplace, so we'll keep warm," he suggested hopefully.

Marisol, wearing a large grin, elbowed Briallen in the ribs when she didn't immediately answer and then said, "She'd love to!"

Briallen glared playfully at her friend, who was already walking away from the couple. Hayden was no longer blushing – he hardly blushed around her anymore – and held out his hand for Briallen. As soon as she accepted it he began to lead her to the Bring Bergamot News office.

Once they arrived at the office Hayden made small talk about the weather and classes while he set up their picnic in front of the fireplace. It wasn't anything fancy, to Briallen's slight dismay, and consisted of tea, ham sandwiches, and baked beans. They settled down on the rug the picnic was spread out on, and helped themselves to the food.

"My friends keep telling me they're seeing you around the school with Lucan Stone all the time," said Hayden suddenly. He was glaring at his sandwich.

She grimaced. Briallen had been spending a lot of time with Lucan, while trying to figure out the first clue for Reynard's game. But it certainly wasn't like she spent every waking moment with him – and most of the times she'd met up with him she'd been using her time-turner, and so she technically had an alibi.

Briallen didn't tell Hayden any of this, however. She shook her head and said, "Not all the time."

"I don't like him very much," he mumbled in response. Briallen translated that in her mind as meaning that Hayden didn't want her spending time with Lucan at all. He was far too nice to be quite so blunt though.

The fire crackled loudly but neither of them moved. Briallen chewed slowly, and then swallowed with difficulty. Suddenly, she sat up, leaned over their plates, and quickly kissed Hayden. He froze. After he'd first kissed her on Halloween Briallen hid from him for a few days, too embarrassed to look him in the eye. Eventually she made the effort to see him again, and had even let him kiss her two more times. But this was the first time that she had actually kissed him. And it was more than enough to shut him up about Lucan.

Hayden wasn't blushing exactly, but he had red splotches all over his face and neck, and he stared at Briallen. Abruptly, he dropped his sandwich, leaned over their plates, and kissed her back. Only he didn't pull away immediately, and his kiss wasn't quite as innocent as Briallen's had been. Briallen had to push him away. She was going to shout at him about the way he had tried to kiss her but when she saw how worried, and just a little scared, he looked, she took a deep breath and gave him a small smile.

"Don't do that again," she whispered as nicely as she could, hiding her anger. He released the deep breath he'd been holding and nodded shyly.

They ate the rest of their lunch quietly.

Later on at dinner, when Marisol asked Briallen how the picnic went, Briallen said casually, "It was okay."

Marisol didn't press any further. After dinner, Briallen told her friends she wanted to go for a walk in the hedge maze, alone. They reluctantly agreed not to accompany her, Marisol taking more convincing than the rest, and reminded her she had to be back by eight o'clock, which is when their curfew began.

Everything Briallen had experienced that day had merely been an obstacle – an obstacle on her way to accomplishing the next step in her plan to get her time-turner back from Lucan. Once she'd wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck, tucked it into her coat, and put on her gloves and boots, Briallen set out on her mission.

It had stopped hailing outside but the wind was still blowing and howling, biting at Briallen's nose and cheeks as she stumbled down the road to The Village. Her boots crunched through the icy grass and she slipped a few times on the frost, but she was determined and refused to turn back.

The streets of The Village were deserted, with everyone obviously deciding to stay indoors to avoid the nasty weather. Briallen's eyes were watering in the wind and so she had to walk with her head down most of the way. Witches and wizards in the stores she passed noticed her but thought nothing of her. They were used to Bergamot students sneaking into town when they weren't supposed to and had learned to accept it, especially since the students usually spent all their pocket money at the shops in town.

But Briallen wasn't looking to spend her pocket money in the shops. For two and a half months Briallen hadn't spend any of her allowance – she had been too busy to do so. Her savings weren't much and she suspected she didn't have nowhere near enough to afford a Verriatis Potion, but she expected to make a deal along with the gold. She thought there must be something she possessed that would be worth the cost of an illegal potion.

She stood outside of Briar's Brooms now, the shop where she had bought her Nova Flare. It was closed currently, its windows dark and its entrance perfect for Briallen to lurk within inconspicuously. She eyed the end of Seedy Alley.

Once the sun went down Seedy Alley came to life with peddlers offering all sorts of unusual (and dark) items, and they were rumored to offer not so legal items as well when given a specific request. The customers, and even the peddlers themselves, looked remarkably unsavory, and even though it was a Monday night there were many of them about the strangely quiet alley.

Reminding herself that she needed the Verriatis Potion, Briallen put on her best no-nonsense face and strode determinedly down Trice Cross and into the alley. There were about a dozen canvas caravans and carts about the alley and a few more times that of customers.

There were no light posts in the alley – the only light came from dim paper lanterns strung up along the tall wrought iron fencing that enclosed most of the alley. The lanterns' high, dim light was barely enough to illuminate the carts and people under them, and Briallen found her confidence wavering as she strode past many shadowy nooks and corners where she suspected a villain could easily hide.

"Manticore teeth? Or perhaps a splinter from the wand of Morgan le Fay for the little lady? You'd be the most popular girl in school with such a splinter," croaked a man in a dulled top hat and a patched suit jacket. He had a scraggly beard and matching hair that was going gray, but still Briallen couldn't guess his age. The man seemed to be in charge of the cart closest to Briallen – and closest to the alley exit.

"I'm looking for something else," she whispered. She was leaning close to him to avoid being overheard, which was actually quite difficult; not only was she the youngest person in the alley, she was also the cleanest, and both traits caused her to stand out in a place full of old and dirty witches and warlocks. While they all put on the pretense of going on nonchalantly about their business, their eyes followed her every move and their ears picked up her every word.

The man in the top hat grinned, and Briallen saw he was missing many of his teeth and those that he did have were sharp and misshapen. "And what might that be, pray tell?"

"A potion–" began Briallen.

"A potion, eh? A _love_ potion, perhaps, for a handsome older lad? Or maybe a potion to make your memory absolutely perfect, so you needn't study for those awful exams!"  
"Um – no, actually, I'm looking for a… a Verriatis Potion." Briallen whispered the potion's name as quietly as she possibly could.

The man in the top hat leaned back, stuck his thumbs under his suspenders, and frowned. "Ah, now one of those, little lady, is a bit more difficult to procure… and bit more _expensive_."

Briallen pulled out her bag of gold from inside her jacket, showed it to the man and said quickly, "I have fifty galleons here! And I'm willing to trade if that's not enough!"

"No, she's not," said a gruff voiced wizard in hooded robes as he pushed her hand away from the peddler, and then protectively put his arm around here. She growled at the stranger but then she looked up into his hood and, recognizing him, gasped. "Let's get out of here."

Voluntarily, and happily, Briallen followed the hooded wizard. They walked through town unseen, until they were in front of a small stone cottage next door to Teddies & Toys Galore, the shop Briallen had run into the year before after getting lost in the north wood. She didn't know why he'd taken her to this innocuous little cottage but she followed him to the front door. He didn't knock, he simply pulled out his wand, waved it, and the door opened and they went in.

They entered a cozy living room, overdone in red and gold floral patterns, lit only by the slowly burning wood in the fireplace. The hooded wizard took Briallen's coat and scarf and hung them on a coat rack by the front door, and then removed his winter robes and hung them as well.

His dark, curly hair was slightly longer, almost touching his shoulders, and he looked as if he hadn't shaved in a week. There were visible bags under his eyes, random bruises, and healing cuts on his forearms and hands. He looked older than his eighteen years, but his eyes retained their youthful kindness and when he smiled at Briallen, she knew he meant it.

"Gavin…" began Briallen. "I tried owling you over the summer but Leto couldn't find you, and then I asked Mindy and Ashley how you were doing and they said you were being home schooled…"

"I am. Mr and Mrs Wadle are teaching me," explained Gavin. Briallen instinctually looked around for the elderly couple. She saw shadows through the doorway leading to the kitchen. The Wadles could clearly hear them but were trying to offer some kind of privacy at least. "As for why you couldn't reach me… I was in Ministry housing and they didn't allow outside communications while I underwent my integration training. They wanted to send me to a special school but Professor Bevin and a friend of his, Professor Dumbledore, spoke to the Minister on my behalf and convinced him to allow the Wadles to take me in for my last year."

"Integration training? Were you allowed contact with Kara at least?"

Gavin cleared his throat and looked visibly uncomfortable. "She and I aren't seeing each other anymore," he said, trying to sound aloof. Briallen could see it was a sensitive topic and didn't ask anymore questions about his and Kara's relationship.

"How did you find me in the alley? Were you there looking for something too?" asked Briallen. She was changing the topic, but it was to a topic she wanted to discuss anyway.

"Yes, I was – I was looking for you. I've been keeping an eye on you because I know how easily you find trouble."

"Why didn't you just come out and say hello then?"

"You were busy. And I was asked not to make direct contact with you until I absolutely had to. I figured preventing you from spending all your gold and possessions on a peddler who couldn't really get you what you need was a pretty good reason to approach you," he said with a smile.

Briallen wasn't smiling. She wanted direct, clear answers. "How do you know that?"

"Trust me – you're not going to find a potion that's been illegal for over a hundred fifty years in an alleyway less than five miles from your school."

"I need that potion though, and I had no other choice."

"We know, sweetie," said Mrs Wadle from the kitchen doorway. She looked just as she had when she found Briallen, lost and tearful, a year ago. She even wore the same pink robes. In her hands she held a beaker of clear bubbling liquid that was giving off turquoise tendrils of smoke. "That's why we made you some."

She brought Briallen the beaker and handed it over carefully. Briallen looked between Mrs Wadle and Gavin to see if they were serious. Neither of them looked amused: Mrs Wadle had worry lines between her brows, and Gavin was frowning and glaring at the potion Briallen held. With a shrug, she drank the potion all at once. It tasted, oddly, of radishes, which actually made it the best tasting potion Briallen had ever drank.

The effect was instant. At first she felt like she was choking, and then she felt faint. She slid down in the overstuffed chair she sat in, gripping the armrests tightly, and her body began convulsing. Gavin stood up but Mrs Wadle held him back. It was over almost as soon as it began and left Briallen gulping for air. Mrs Wadle stepped away and let Gavin rush to her.

"Breathe, that's it," said Gavin calmly as he helped her sit up. "Are you alright? You want a glass of water?"

"No, I'm fine," mumbled Briallen as she brought her hand to her head. Amazingly, she did feel fine. It was as if she'd never been sick, or stressed, in the first place, but like she'd just gotten back from a long, rejuvenating summer vacation on a beach. "I feel… fantastic, actually. Wow, that stuff is _amazing_."

"And it's the last you'll have. The recipe has already been destroyed and – and your _benefactor_ can't risk obtaining it again. That means no more using the time-turner as you have been!" scolded Mrs Wadle.

"Iris is right, Briallen. That's the last of the Verriatis Potion… and I can't believe you've been so reckless with such a dangerous device. I thought that even though your thirteen, after that night in the north wood you would know better. You _should've_ known better!" Briallen had never heard Gavin sound so angry before. He shook his head at her. "Didn't you read the letters I had delivered to you?"

Briallen thought back – the only letters she remembered were the ones she received from her parents and her Apokni. There was a letter with the time-turner, she remembered, a brief one telling her to 'use it well,' which she'd utterly ignored. But then another memory snapped into her head, like a rubber band pulled too tight and then released – she had gotten two strange, unmarked letters.

She remembered hardly any of the first letter. She read it once and then threw it away. But the second one was more recent, and she'd actually read it over several times because it used the same phrase as the note that came with the time-turner – 'use it wisely.'

"I read them," said Briallen slowly, dropping her head. "But I threw them away after I read them. I didn't think they were for me."

"Well, they were," said Gavin, annoyed. "Something is happening but your – _benefactor_ – isn't very clear on what that 'something' is. He says to be careful, in every possible meaning of the word, especially when it comes to using Fewter's knowledge."

"Abel Fewter!" blurted Briallen suddenly. That was where she'd heard his name before – in the very first letter she'd received! Everything was beginning to fit together.

"Yeah… he did a lot of experiments with time-travel. Look, I don't like that you're the one having to deal with this, and I don't even understand why you're the one, but you are, even if you're just a kid. But that time-turner was given to you for a specific purpose. You won't need the Verriatis Potion again so long as you don't use the time-turner often – meaning only use it when you _need_ to, not _want_ to. There is a difference"

Briallen nodded, embarrassed by her own weakness for the device. "Okay… it's not like I could use it now anyway, even if I wanted. Lucan took it away, to keep me from using it again."

"Lucan? Lucan Stone?" Gavin paused, and have Briallen a strange look.

"He's trust-worthy too. The letter said to tell 'him' when I had to, so I did."

Gavin rubbed his eyes and actually laughed. "Briallen, Lucan's not the 'him' the letter was referring to – the letter was talking about Cal, your grandpa."


	13. A Clear Picture

Chapter 13: A Clear Picture

**Chapter 13: A Clear Picture**

Minister of Magic Caspian Everard was a proud, stately, war veteran who made up in leadership abilities what he may have lacked in people skills. He was elected by an electoral landslide twice, had been minister now for eight years, and had been re-elected seven months ago for his third, and final, term. The witches and wizards of America adored his no-nonsense attitude and strictly 'no favorites' government policies – he was hard on everybody, no matter who they were or how much money they had. He was nobody's tool except God's, in whose name he struck down dark magic users and corralled monsters into domesticated captivity.

He remembered what had happened in Britain just over a decade ago. A dark wizard arose, proclaiming himself a 'Lord' (Minister Everard snorted at just the thought of this word, _Lord_ – he believed aristocracy to be a joke), and by the fault of a weak government, this dark wizard managed to gain an ungodly number of followers to do his evil bidding. Such a thing would _never_ happen in the United States of America – not while Caspian Everard was in charge.

This was why he had to take time out of his busy schedule to visit Bergamot Academy for the Magically Gifted. Had this been a less important task he would have sent one of his peons. As it was, however, this was a very important task, or at least it was important to him. His advisors said it was pointless, useless, and would only make him out to be a paranoid conspiracy theorist once the journalists learned of this trip. But dealing with dark wizards was his specialty – his favorite _hobby_. And this dark wizard wasn't some lowly warlock turning kids into gnomes and sending dogs after them… this dark wizard was rumored to have followed this 'Dark Lord' who once terrorized Britain, and he was currently working at the largest school of magic in the United States. Caspian Everard just could not allow that.

Britain's Dark Lord was supposedly destroyed twelve years ago, but Minister Everard knew better. He had fought in three wars, and was responsible for the capture of over one hundred dark wizards during his time as Chief Auror and he knew this Dark Lord was the worst of the worst, and that it would take more than some little boy to bring him down (he'd heard the rumors of the Dark Lord dying by the hands of an infant and scoffed at such absurdity).

Caspian Everard had bided his time, just waiting to hear news from across the pond of the return of their Dark Lord that they had so naïvely believed to be vanquished. Because he was coming back soon, and Caspian had what he believed to be hard proof to the fact – the Dark Lord's followers were once again making themselves known.

"He's a fool to come to this country and play his silly games while I'm in charge!" bellowed Minister Everard as he walked through the front doors of Bergamot. His many medals glittered brightly against his stark gray robes and turned everyone's attention to him. It was the middle of afternoon break and students were everywhere, and they all turned their heads when the Minister strode past them. The Minister's chief advisor noticed the attention the students were giving the Minister and begged his boss to lower his voice. "Nonsense! These kids know who I am and what I do! They should know–"

"Minister Everard! Welcome to Bergamot!" interrupted Professor Alembic, who had just run into the entrance hall from the dining hall. She instantly composed herself and smiled politely at the elderly wizard. "We were told you weren't arriving until tomorrow! Erm – we're not entirely prepared for your visit, I'm afraid."

"That's perfectly fine! I don't intend on remaining here for very long. Let's get down to business, shall we?" he demanded in a less than courteous manner.

Professor Alembic nodded, curtsied, and then led the Minister, his advisors and bodyguards up the grand stairs.

Briallen and Lucan were in the entrance hall discussing their progress on the first clue with Amir and Lindsay when the Minister made his grand entrance, and just like everybody else, they stopped and stared at the imposing man.

Briallen had completely forgotten about when she overheard her grandfather and Professor Alembic discussing the Minister's impending visit months ago but now it all came rushing back to her. She was shaking with so much excitement that when she turned to Lucan to tell him what she remembered, all that came out was, "Oh! Oh! Oh!"

She didn't wait for him to ask her what she meant before she ran off after the Minister. Lucan followed her, curious, while Amir and Lindsay followed her to make sure she stayed out of trouble. Briallen knew Professor Alembic was taking the Minister to see her grandfather in his office, but they were taking the main staircases in the portrait hall, and Briallen knew a shortcut.

"No running in the library!" shouted Mrs Shan as Briallen ran past her and up the stairs behind the front desk. Then Lucan rushed past her. "No running in the library!" she shouted again, louder this time. And finally, Amir and Lindsay ran past the frazzled librarian, who instead of yelling this time, raised her wand and sent a cart full of books after the rule-breaking students. "And one of them is a prefect! What has this school come to?"

They exited the library on the fifth floor and ran up a rickety iron staircase in a corner to the sixth floor. Turning two corners and a straight sprint brought them to the portrait of Professor Meyers, who had awoken due to all the commotion the four students made in getting to him. "My word, you kids today and the racket you make," he mumbled, opening the door to Cal Bevin's office.

"Briallen, this is the _Minister of Magic_ we're talking about – the leader of the free magical world and the third largest wizarding nation on earth!" said Amir as authoritatively as he could muster. He was out of breath at the moment and finding it difficult to sound serious when he paused after every word to take a deep gulp of air.

"What about the Minister?" asked Cal curiously, looking up from a roll of parchment he'd been reading. He sat at his desk, and in one of the chairs facing his desk sat Reynard. He flashed the kids a wicked smile and winked at them.

Briallen didn't get the chance to answer her grandfather's question as just then Professor Alembic entered, followed by Minister Caspian Everard himself. The Minister didn't pause or halt at all in his steps as he strode straight over to Reynard, grabbed the man's arm, hauled him out of his chair and tried to lift the sleeves of his long shirt.

"Oy! What do you think you're doing there?!" shouted Reynard. He had the same mad look in his eyes from when Lucan announced Briallen would be his partner in the scavenger hunt.

"I demand you show me your forearms!" ordered the Minister.

Cal's eyes widened and he jumped out of his chair. "Minister, there are children here! Let me see them out before we begin."

The chief advisor looked relieved by Cal's suggestion, but the Minister shook his head. "I'm not waiting any longer Calhoun! You Brits, always so concerned with manners and propriety! Look where it landed you – with wizards like this!"

With a sneer, Reynard rolled up his sleeves and stretched his arms out in front of everybody, his palms up. There was nothing extraordinary about the clock-tower guard's arms, aside from the fact he seemed to be losing patches of arm hair.

Briallen was confused. Amir, Lucan and Lindsey, on the other hand, very clearly knew what was going on – they all looked relieved to see that Reynard's arms were just regular arms, though Lindsey looked just a little bit frightened as well.

Cal's lips were pursed and his brow furrowed as he stared at the Minister. Nobody in the room spoke or moved. Finally, Cal whispered, "Briallen, please take your friends and leave. I'm busy right now."

She didn't want to leave but Lucan took hold of her arm and pulled her out of the room. Amir and Lindsay followed willingly. As soon as Professor Meyers had shut the door, Amir-the-Prefect spoke up. "What we saw does not leave that room, understand? There are a lot of students at Bergamot who have friends or family who live in Europe, and I do not want to start a panic for no reason. We all saw there was nothing there."

"But the Minister had to have a reason to check in the first place," muttered Lucan.

"I have cousins in England and some of them go to school with… with…" Lindsay flushed and let her sentence remain unfinished.

Amir put an arm around her and sweetly kissed her on the forehead. "I don't think Lindsay and I are going to play his game anymore… but if you two plan on continuing we'll help you out. Just be careful, alright?" Lucan nodded. Briallen was still confused. "I'll owl you tonight with what we've figured out so far."

Again, Lucan nodded. Amir and Lindsay left the way they came but Lucan and Briallen went to the portrait hall. "Do you want to tell me what just happened in there?" Briallen asked in a whisper. They were on a staircase with a few other students and she was trying to be as discreet at possible.

"They were checking his arm for _His _mark," whispered Lucan.

"Reynard's mark?" asked Briallen, confused.

One of the kids in front of them, an Almerick, turned and glanced at them, a weird look on his face. Lucan sneered at the Almerick and with a snort, the Almerick turned back to his friends.

"No…" They had stopped on the second floor landing in front of the library. Lucan took Briallen's arm and pulled up the sleeve of her robe. With his wand, he drew a faint, flesh-colored picture of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth. Almost as soon as he'd finished, the picture disappeared. She'd never seen nor heard of the image, and she was still confused.

Then she was really confused as Lucan suddenly wobbled sideways and then fell to the floor to her right, his lip bleeding and his hand over his eye. She looked to her left and saw Hayden. His teeth were bared and his cheeks were red and he was breathing heavily.

"You learn that little trick from your Death Eater grandfather?!" shouted Hayden, now standing over Lucan with his wand at Lucan's throat. "Don't. Touch. Her. Again."

"Jealous because she won't let you touch her?" retorted Lucan with a sneer.

Briallen had never seen Hayden so angry – in fact, she'd never seen him angry, ever. He pulled his wand back, ready to hex Lucan, but Briallen realized what he was about to do and grabbed his arm and yanked it away. Hayden stumbled into her and the two of them fell back on the stairs.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?" bellowed Professor Alembic, horrified and spitting angry.

Behind her stood Minister Everard and his entourage. The Minister watched with great interest as Hayden quickly pulled himself and Briallen up, and hid his wand behind his back. Lucan was on his knees on the floor. He took his time in bringing himself to his feet, using the stair railing for support.

The next words to come out of Professor Alembic's mouth were in a low whisper: "_My office now_."

O O O O

Professor Alembic was furious with not only Hayden and Lucan, but Briallen as well. She wasn't entirely sure what happened. All she saw was a bloody Lucan on the floor with Hayden standing over him and Briallen next to him, and so she held them all accountable. Briallen lucked out, however, and Professor Alembic only gave her one night's detention, meaning she could still play in the Quodpot Final Game on Wednesday evening. But Lucan and Hayden were given a month worth of detention and since there were only two weeks of school left, their first two weeks of spring term would also be in detention.

Later that day in Potions, Briallen was forced to field questions by curious classmates, wanting to know if it was true that Hayden Van Vlerah and Lucan Stone got into a Muggle fist-fight over her. She refused to answer any of their questions and attempted to brush off the incident as nothing important or exciting.

"Everybody – QUIET!" shouted Professor Alembic at the front of the room. "Class is starting now and I am _not_ in the mood to tolerate off-topic conversation, _which means_ that there will be no more talk of the altercation between Mr Van Vlerah and Mr Stone, and I will assign a month of detention to anyone who disobeys me. Do you all understand?"

Everybody silently nodded to the Potions professor, who was still pink with anger. No one wanted to test the veracity of her threat – they all believed her. "Now," began Professor Alembic, "today we'll be brewing a potion that requires the utmost precision and attention, or at least as much precision and attention as a bunch of twelve and thirteen year olds can possess. One small mistake, and this potion is utterly useless."

Toby and Briallen looked at each other, brows raised. They'd never known Professor Alembic to be so snarky, but the combination of the Minister's unannounced visit, and Lucan and Hayden's fight right in front of him, had obviously frayed her nerves severely. Professor Alembic was now standing in front of a small cauldron from which a wispy, shimmering indigo fog was emanating.

"This is Tranquil Tonic. In it are those things that are known to soothe the nerves, quiet the mind, and relax the body: fairy wings, lavender, powdered moonstone, and the crushed twig of a mandrake."

Chante Nguyen raised her hand, and the professor called on her. "Isn't it true that Tranquil Tonic is addictive? Tinna says that Cora Quinn's grandmother takes a sip of it every ten minutes."

"No ingredient within this potion is addictive. Those who use Tranquil Tonic on a daily basis are weak hypochondriacs who're overly absorbed with their supposed suffering," snapped Professor Alembic. "There is a difference between addiction and dependence. Tranquil Tonic is only meant as a temporary relief for stress – used too often and it becomes ineffective."

A Summerbee boy whose name Briallen didn't know raised his hand next. Everybody seemed to be trying to get participation points and earn their way onto the Potions Professor's good side. "Is this the stuff Mrs Krause feeds the kids who have meltdowns during finals?"

"Yes! Now can I please continue my lecture without any silly interruptions. Mr Garcia, if you raise your hand you had better have a very good reason for doing so."

Flushing, Dante lowered his hand and his eyes. Satisfied that nobody else had any questions or comments, Professor Alembic began an in-depth lecture on the history and uses of Tranquil Tonic.

Briallen was bored and began day-dreaming of Quodpot, more specifically of the game on Wednesday against Wenlock. She imagined herself as being suddenly, inexplicably, magnificent at the game, and scoring goal after goal in their cauldron, and making the Wenlock team cry.

Come game-day, however, Briallen was anything but magnificent.

It was halftime now, and her teammates joined her on the bench for a much needed break. The Quod had exploded in Briallen's possession five minutes into the first quarter, benching her almost immediately and meaning she wasn't able to re-join the game until the third quarter. The score was tied at three to three and both teams had spent the last quarter preventing each other from scoring at all.

"When you get back out there, Bevin, watch the Quod!" Conall shouted at her. He followed his demand by a string of curses so rotten Briallen winced and her toes curled.

Once Conall had thoroughly finished, Rex Hampton approached him. He handed both Briallen and Conall a paper-cup full of cider to combat the cold of the snow that had begun falling that morning, and then turned to Conall and suggested, politely, "Shouldn't I be the one out on the field today?"

"No! You kept messing up your part in our Prickly Play and that's what I plan on throwing at those damned Wenlocks in the third quarter. Briallen has that play down pat."

Rex nodded understandingly at Conall but once the Captain's back was turned, he scowled at Briallen and stomped away. Briallen sipped at her cider while Conall went over with the team the game-plays he wanted to use for the last half of the game.

Professor Black, one of the referees that day, blew the game whistle and the Withers and Wenlock teams marched back out onto the field. The wind was picking up and the light snowfall was becoming a weak blizzard. Briallen kissed the protective talisman Hayden had given her last Christmas, and then swung her leg over her broom.

For ten minutes she did her best to score a goal but the Wenlock team kept intercepting the Quod, and so it went back and forth between the two teams every minute or so.

"Is it just me or is this the most boring Quodpot Final we've ever witnessed?" Lindsey Price's voice echoed dully over the field. She had given up commenting on Quod possession early in the game, since possession changed so quickly. "I feel like we're watching a lazy Sunday game of BowderBall! COME ON TEAMS, MAKE US WANT TO CHEER FOR YOU!"

Though Briallen couldn't see Lindsay in the commentator's box, she was sure Professor Montignac was chastising the Summerbee girl for veering off topic. Lindsay was right, though – no one in the stands was cheering, and they were all sitting down. Even Briallen's friend, who were normally hyperactively jumping all over and shouting at every game, were sitting calmly in the bleachers drinking from steaming mugs.

Frustrated, and wanting to impress her friends, Briallen decided to break from Conall's game-play. Veering left sharply, and then flying low to the ground, Briallen flew under her teammates and most of the Wenlock team, making her way straight for Wenlock team member number twenty-three, who currently held the Quod.

"Merlin's beard! I think – I think something is actually happening! Bevin is pulling a cellar and going right for Reedus for Quod possession!" screamed Lindsay enthusiastically.

Now Briallen could hear the screaming of boos and cheers from the bleachers. She smiled and leaned forward on her broom to increase her speed. Reedus was just a few feet away now. Behind her Conall was screaming at her but she ignored him. She convinced herself she could get the Quod by surprise still and possibly make it back to their scoring cauldron and score the winning point.

She blinked. She thought she must be going incredibly fast as the flyers around her began to blur. She blinked again – no, there was no blur. She cut in front of Reedus just then, startling him, and stole the Quod from his hands. It was vibrating violently now, getting ready to explode. She had to be quick.

She only had one hand guiding her broom now, as the other held the Quod. Around her, the screaming voices were blurring into a white noise. Conall appeared by her side and was screaming something at her but Briallen couldn't understand. Her fingers felt numb and weak all of a sudden, and the field started going blurry again. She shook her head to try and snap her attention and focus back in place but it didn't work.

Conall saw something behind her and the look of fury on his face seemed to grow more intense. He pulled back but Briallen didn't look to see what was the reason. She didn't even notice all the other players pulling back too; all she saw was the blurry, black dot of the scoring cauldron, just a dozen yards away.

Out of nowhere a BowderBall suddenly smacked her in the side of the head. Briallen swerved off course. A BowderBall smacked her on the other side of the head and she swerved the opposite direction. Then two more BowderBalls hit her, in the back of the head and in the back. She winced and slowed down which allowed yet another BowderBall to smack right into her fingers.

With a scream, Briallen released her grip on her broom and, without her holding on at such a high speed, the broom flew out from under her and she rolled hard into the ground. But she still held the Quod! Briallen had no idea if it was against the rules or not but she took off towards the cauldron on foot, running as fast as she could. A Wenlock player pulled in front of her and she leaped over his broom.

"BEVIN'S LOST HER BROOM AND IS RUNNING DOWN THE PITCH TO THE SCORE ZONE!" screamed Lindsay Price at the top of her lungs. "SHE'S LEAPED OVER REEDUS' BROOMSTICK!"

Briallen somehow dodged two more Wenlock players. The Quod was beginning to emit smoke from several of the small holes in it, and Briallen only just managed to toss it into the scoring cauldron before it exploded. She turned to face the pitch and the crowd, but it was all one big blur.

The next thing she saw were the tall lights surrounding the pitch and the Quidditch goal posts.

"What's wrong with her?" asked a voice to her left.

"I dunno – she looks like she's on something!" replied a voice on her right.

Briallen smiled at the voices and giggled as she shook her head dreamily. The light above her swirled around in geometrical shapes and reminded her of a kaleidoscope. She raised a hand feebly towards the light, trying to catch the shapes with it.

"Move aside!" said Professor Black, annoyed. He bent over her and sighed irritably. "Someone spiked all the cider jugs with a high concentration of Tranquil Tonic… I really hate reffing game finals! CALL A DRAW, MS PRICE! WE'RE DONE FOR THE EVENING!"

Briallen was out of it for the rest of the evening, though she remembered her grandfather yelling at someone. When she awoke the next morning she felt perfectly fine, aside from slight memory loss. There was nobody in her dorm room when she looked around and she was worried that she might have slept through her alarm when she remembered it was Thanksgiving and there were no classes.

After throwing on a pair of jeans and a sweater and sliding on her favorite house slippers Briallen trudged down to the common room. Conall, Benjamin, and Noah were all sitting on one of the couches in front of the fireplace, discussing something seriously. They looked intense and angry, and Briallen didn't want to disrupt them so she made her way quietly to the door.

"Hold on a moment, Bevin," said Conall just as she was about to open Sir Lawrence of Woodcroft's portrait. She didn't remember the game last night – at least not the last half – but she had a feeling she'd done something wrong or bad, because of the way that Conall spoke to her.

"Look, Conall, I don't really remember last night, and I don't know why I don't remember but–"

"Someone spiked our cider with Tranquil Tonic as a prank. It's the reason we were _all _so slow the other day – even the Wenlocks. You just got more than the rest of us because you were downing the cider while on the bench," explained Conall gruffly.

"It made you a little loopy," added Noah with a grin. "The last goal you made, you know, you made by _running_ to the cauldron… which is technically allowed, just not all that common. Certainly made the game more interesting, though. Everybody's talking about it."

Briallen grimaced and looked at Conall guiltily. She was expecting him to chide her for playing like a Muggle but he merely shook his head and even smiled a little. "You're not mad at me then?" asked Briallen, hopeful.

"Not for that," said Conall, frowning again already. "You broke the play, Bevin! I don't care if you did score – that wasn't teamwork! This game is all about working together, as a team, to accomplish a common goal."

"I'm sorry, I really am…"

Conall eyed her carefully, determining whether or not she was being honest with him. He apparently decided she was as he mumbled, "Fine. Just don't do it again. I'm only letting you off the hook this time because you were under the influence."

With a nod, Briallen left the three boys to continue their previous conversation and went downstairs for breakfast. The dining hall was buzzing when she walked in and a few eyes watched her as she took a seat next across from Toby and Marisol at the Withers table.

"That was an incredible game!" gushed Marisol, clapping.

"Even if you were drugged up," added Toby. "We were just talking about who might have done it."

"Dante," all three of them said at the same time. Briallen continued, "Makes sense. We are learning about it in Potions, and he does hate most all the Withers and the Wenlocks…"

_And he's probably trying to keep me from playing the scavenger hunt_, thought Briallen. _I bet him and Morana have no idea at all what the first clue is about and they're just desperate to keep the other teams from figuring it out before they do!_

"No, well, yes – but we were talking about all the _BowderBalls_ that flooded the field!" said Marisol, her eyes wide. "Someone, or _someones_, threw all those BowderBalls at you guys last night. Dante could have done that too, I mean he's got friends with enough money to buy that many of those silly balls!"

Briallen nodded in agreement.

A sudden increase in whispers and giggles originating at the opposite end of the dining hall, near the door, got Briallen's attention just then. Hayden had just walked in and many of the girls in the dining hall were pointing and whispering as he passed, and throwing him flirtatious winks and smiles. Hayden was flushed but his walk was more like a saunter and he held his chin a little higher as he made his way to Briallen.

"Hey there, you," he whispered, nuzzling Briallen's neck while he sat next to her.

Briallen raised a brow and shrugged him off of her. "What's that all about?"

"What? The girls?" he asked innocently, as if he'd been oblivious to the sudden attention he was getting. Briallen nodded and gave him a look that told him she didn't want to play around. He shrugged nonchalantly. "Ever since I hit Lucan I've got girls coming at me right and left! They all think I'm romantic for fighting over you."

Hayden looked quite pleased about his sudden change in status. Overnight he had gone from being a cute, yet awkward, journalism geek to a gorgeous, romantic, old-fashioned heartthrob. And Briallen couldn't believe she hadn't noticed until just now. As she looked around the dining hall she saw that most of the first, second, and third year girls – and even a few fourth years! – were eyeing Hayden with little smiles.

Briallen was disgusted. And a little jealous and indignant. She stood up from the table and mumbled, "I'm heading to the library."

"It's Thanksgiving!" said Marisol. "_I_ don't even plan on visiting the library today! And we're supposed to go make turkey hands, and Professor Kuntz is having a turkey catch later – she's putting a hundred turkeys in the courtyard and a few with have a bag of galleons around their necks and the kids who catch them get to keep the money!"

"And Professors Berry and Perry are holding trivia contests in one of the Muggle Studies room!" said Toby, excited. "Come on, Briallen! You and me could win those so easily!"

"I've got an essay I want to get done with," she replied dully. Hayden looked confused and disappointed, which made her strangely happy. With a quick wave, she left her friends to their breakfast.

The library was empty. Mrs Shan sat at the check-out counter, eating a muffin and reading a book, and paid her no attention as she went down the stairs to the study tables. She sat down at a table nearest a large window that looked out over the north wood, folded her arms on the table, and put her head down.

Briallen wasn't sure how long she sat like that, but eventually Lucan had arrived and tapped her on the shoulder. She'd lifted her head and acknowledged him, and laughed a little at his bruised lip and eye. He expressed his desire to continue their research on the first clue, she agreed. Two hours had passed since then.

"This makes no sense, this makes no sense," sang Briallen. She was doodling a silly picture of Mrs Shan being chased by her own books on one of the sheets of paper Lucan had given her to take notes on. She had stopped taking notes almost an hour ago, however.

"We really should figure this out before winter break. I can't believe it's this hard," muttered Lucan while his eyes busily scanned the wide book set open in front of him. He sat back, sighed, and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, so read me the clue again."

Rolling her eyes, Briallen began, in monotone, "I'm in abyss at most times, I am rooted to the earth, I'm in actuality the sublime, I am glistening in mirth. I'm as omphalos, in shape and size, but I'm natant in my other guise, and I'm incandescent as the moon, So I'm treasured by the wise, but I'm exquisite most when in tune, which is only why I rise."

"What do we know so far?"

"Cave-dwelling, water-dwelling, shiny, happy, expensive, is like a giant religious stone artifact…" said Briallen, ticking off each description on her fingers.

"Whatever that means," said Lucan, rubbing his eyes again. He was referring to the use of the word 'omphalos' in the riddle. It didn't make any sense to either of them and they'd started using it as a joke, referring to anything that was weird as an 'omphalos.' Lucan happily, and frequently, used the word when talking about Hayden, only stopping when Briallen had told him she'd had enough and to move on.

"And patterns?" asked Briallen.

"Each line, excluding the last, starts with a title and a connector-thing, and is followed by… an adjective, except in the first and third lines, and of course the last line."

Briallen wrote down the third word of every line so that her note paper read:

_Abyss_

_ Rooted_

_ Actuality_

_ Glistening_

_ Omphalos_

_ Natant_

_ Incandescent_

_ Treasured_

_ Exquisite_

She read the list over again, underlining each word, and going over the first letter of each word several times until they were dark and there were flecks of graphite dotting the paper. The side of her hand was now a silvery-black due to the graphite.

That's when she noticed a new pattern. She sat up, and was amazed she'd finally gotten it – or, at least, thought she'd gotten it.

"Lucan! The first letters of each third word… they spell out a name!" cried Briallen, excited, as she wrote the name next to her list. Luckily, because the library was empty, Mrs Shan only glared at her from the check-out desk.

"Aragonite?" said Lucan, unsure, as he read her paper. "Isn't that a sort of stone?"

"Yes! Remember when we learned about Abel Fewter? Well, I did a bit more reading on him and _aragonite_ was one of the stones he discovered had hidden magical properties! It's fits the clues – it can be found in caves or in seashells, it's shiny, it's used in happiness potions, and it's expensive!"

"That's only some of the clues. What about actuality? And omphalos? And _being in tune_?" asked Lucan, doubtful Briallen had answered the riddle.

"Well, maybe they're instructions for how to get the stone. Maybe we can't just use any aragonite stone but… something _omphalos_ like – something with a spiritual purpose?"

Lucan was starting to believe Briallen now. It did make some sense. "And wizards often hide treasured things by making them impossible to get at without some strange way of unlocking it, so maybe the 'in tune' part refers to it only appearing when music is played?"

"Maybe! It's not like we have any other leads so we might as well look into it," suggested Briallen. "Especially since the other teams are starting to play hard-ball – I know it was one of them who spiked my team's cider with Tranquil Tonic, and it was one of them that set loose the BowderBalls during the game!"

"I agree," said Lucan solemnly. Briallen wondered if any of their competition tried anything to hinder Lucan as they had her. If so, he hadn't mentioned it.

"We should get help from Amir and Lindsay," said Briallen matter-of-factly.

"What? They're _another_ team!"

"They quit, remember?"

"And we should believe that? What if it's just a ruse to get us to share our information with them?" argued Lucan.

"Then they beat us to the clue piece, we learn our lesson, and we start working on the second clue! It doesn't matter!" exclaimed Briallen in a huff. "And I believe them anyways. They're not liars and they play fair."

Lucan shook his head and went silent while Briallen waited for a response.

"Fine," mumbled Lucan, sounding reluctant and a little angry. "We'll see if your friends know anything."


	14. The Room of Truth

Chapter 14: The Room of Truth

**Chapter 14: The Room of Truth**

"Just don't open your mouth," ordered Briallen as she looked him right in the eyes to let him know how serious she was.

Hayden rolled his eyes and nodded before leaning in and kissing her quickly. He then smiled at her before he ran off to join the snowball fight his friends had just started in the south courtyard. Marisol and Toby watched the couple from one of the couches of the first floor common room. Briallen was spread out on a couch opposite them, her bare feet propped up on one arm rest and her head propped up on the other. A blast of cold wind blew over her toes as Hayden opened the door to the south courtyard, and she smiled at the feeling.

"Don't open your mouth?" repeated Toby, as he flipped absent-minded through a Habory Lane Christmas Catalogue. Marisol brought her hand to her mouth and giggled.

"He keeps trying to kiss me with his mouth open – it's so disgusting!" moaned Briallen dramatically.

Toby made a gagging noise and then mumbled, "Jesus, that sounds gross!"

It was the Friday after Thanksgiving and most of the school was out shopping, except for Briallen and her friends, and they were very bored. Briallen and Toby wanted to make a snowman but Marisol didn't want to go out in the cold, wet snow, as she'd done her hair up nicely in a bouffant that morning and didn't want to ruin it. Lucan had wanted to work on the first clue some more, but until Lindsay and Amir returned from shopping there was no point in obsessing over it as they had been and so Briallen told him she would just meet him the next day. For now, she wanted to spend time with her friends.

"Briallen? Now that Hayden's gone can I ask a question about Lucan?" asked Marisol in a sing-song sort of way. Briallen shrugged her assent as she popped a piece of blue Bestand Bubbles Bubblegum in her mouth. She chewed loudly, smacking the gum, as Marisol went on. "What are the two of you always doing?"

Briallen popped the bubble she'd blown and turned to look at her friend. She half expected Marisol to coyly suggest she was have some sort of sordid affair with Lucan. Marisol didn't say anything else, however, and she didn't look amused. Even Toby had caught the serious tone of his most playful companion and looked up from his catalogue, ready to engage in the serious conversation he hoped was about to begin.

"We've been working on… on a project," said Briallen, stopping herself before she mentioned Reynard's game. Something about the clock-tower guard made her think it was best to follow the only two rules he'd given them for the game, especially after what she'd witnessed the other day in her grandfather's office between Reynard and Minister Everard.

"Briallen, I have all the same classes as you. I know we don't have any projects. What are you two up to, really? Is there something…." Marisol paused to lower her voice, even though they were the only ones in the room. "Is there something dangerous going on?"

"What? No! There's nothing – look, I'm just helping him with some silly project for his Humanities class, alright? Really, it's nothing," Briallen assured Marisol, who looked content with Briallen's insistence that nothing was going on.

Toby clearly didn't believe her, however. She'd have to talk to him later, in private, and find some way to convince him of her lie. He was much more perceptive than Marisol – he'd even picked up on her time-turner use; even if he didn't know exactly what was going on when she had the time-turner, he knew Briallen was doing something she wasn't supposed to.

A snowball hit one of the windows that overlooked the south courtyard. They all turned to look at the window and saw Hayden, waving at them with one hand and holding a pile of snowballs in the other.

"Oh, come on, Marisol!" begged Briallen, looking sadly at the shiny, sparkling snow outside and the kids playing in it.

"In the name of Circe… _fine_!" cried Marisol, throwing her hands up in the air. "Let's go throw snow at each other like a bunch of monkeys in a zoo!"

Toby threw his catalogue on the table with a loud thud and had his winter gear on before Briallen and Marisol had even gotten up from the couches. Laughing, they followed suit and put on their boots, cloaks, and gloves and ran outside to play.

The next morning Briallen was sniffling with a runny nose but she was happy. The previous day had been the most fun she'd had the entire semester, but she'd spent most of it outside and she was worse off now because of it. The runny nose didn't bother her though, and she knew Mrs Krause could probably cure it in a flash but she was enjoying the feeling as she ate her warm cinnamon oatmeal and flipped casually through her new _YW: Young Witch_ magazine, which was an extra-thick Holiday Special edition. It all reminded her that winter break was almost here, which in turn meant Christmas was almost here, and that was what she was looking forward to most of all – a nice, relaxing, old-fashioned family Christmas without the worry of kidnappers and killers looming over her.

Noah Pierce sat down next to her. She smiled kindly at him as he helped himself to breakfast, and he smiled back, but neither spoke. They ate together in silence. Briallen had read through half her magazine before she realized Noah was sneaking glances at the magazine when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Are you interested in 'Seven Potions to Make Your Winter a Wonderland?'" asked Briallen, amused, as she glanced at Noah from the corner of her eye.

With a goofy grin, Noah replied, "I was waiting for you to finish actually."

"So you want to read the whole thing?" joked Briallen.

Noah chuckled. "I didn't want to interrupt you with my question."

She pushed away her empty bowl and closed her magazine. She hadn't really been reading it anyway – she'd just been looking at all the magic pictures that moved. "Is it a question about Quodpot?" she asked excitedly, hoping Noah wanted to confer with her about something important regarding their team.

"Of course. I have tickets to a Pilot Mountain game – Chicago Zephyrs versus the Durham Dragons – and Benjamin mentioned you wanted to go to a professional game and so… I thought you might want them."

"Are you serious!" cried Briallen, even more excited than before. "You're inviting me to a real Quodpot game?!"

"Not exactly. My dad gets all these tickets for free when he's in town but he just wants to have a quiet break with the family. So I'm giving you our tickets, if you want them."

"Yes, yes! This is so exciting! Oh – I have to go tell Toby and Marisol!" Briallen jumped up from the table, grabbed her things, gave Noah a quick hug, and then run out of the dining hall.

When she entered the portrait hall however she noticed Lucan coming down the stairs from the direction of the Withers common room. He looked frustrated, but that look disappeared when he saw Briallen, and it was replaced with annoyance. "I've been looking all over you!" he said quietly, glancing behind her. She knew he was checking for Hayden. Ever since Hayden had hit him, he'd been extra careful around Briallen.

"Okay, but I have to go tell Toby something first–"

"You can talk to him later. Right now Amir and Lindsay are waiting for us in a study room. Come on," he ordered as he took Briallen by the arm. She yanked her arm from his grasp and glared at him, but her curiosity got the best of her and she followed him into the library.

Amir glanced up over his glasses as Lucan and Briallen entered but left Lindsay to greet them while he continued taking tracing something on a sheet of paper. The table they were working on was covered in large rolls of parchment, most of which were unrolled and splayed across the table in layers.

"We think we might have found it!" whispered Lindsay in shaky excitement. She wore an enormous grin as she pulled her curly, red hair into a more serious pony-tail. "Its name was removed from the plans but we were able to figure out its location from first person accounts in various diaries and books…"

"What are we talking about?" whispered Briallen. She didn't know why they were whispering since the library's study rooms were covered in Silencing Charms but she went along with it anyway.

"The Room of Truth," explained Lucan, taking a seat across from Amir.

Lindsay nodded and added, "Every group except yours has a member who is familiar with Bergamot and its stories, so while you two were apparently figuring out the clue _piece_, we had all already figured out its location and were just trying to _find_ it."

"I still don't get it," mumbled Briallen while she examined the rolls of parchment. They were filled with detailed drawings of the school and its layout, except none of the rooms appeared to be labeled, contrary to what Lindsay had said previously.

"The reference to 'omphalos.' We all understood that that line specifically was talking about the Room of Truth because we'd all heard the stories but you, being Muggle-born, obviously hadn't, nor had Lucan, who is the first in his family to attend Bergamot," said Amir. He pointed to the roll of parchment on which he'd been tracing something when Briallen first entered the study room. "This, we believe, is the Room of Truth. Its name was erased from the plans. From what Lucan told me about Abel Fewter, it was probably done around one hundred and fifty years ago when the room was closed off to keep kids out."

"They closed it off? Why?"

"There are a lot of strange and unused rooms in the school. Like the swimming pool – that was closed off and hidden ten years after some Kappas got into it and a bunch of kids were hurt. That's the only reason rooms are hidden. They're never destroyed or re-engineered for some other purpose because there's no need when we have wizard space, and one never knows when those rooms will come in handy again. For example, there's already talk of the Dean re-opening the pool."

This was all a lot of information for Briallen, and she still didn't understand what the Room of Truth was, but Amir had finished talking. He folded the paper he'd been tracing on and handed it to Lucan.

"Did you learn anything about how we can get in?" asked Lucan, taking the paper.

"The stories say the Room of Truth only opens for those searching for enlightenment… so, good luck!"

Lucan snorted and stormed out of the room. Briallen looked apologetically at Amir and Lindsay and said, "Thanks for all your help!"

"You're welcome, and be careful! The others are looking for the room too – we stole these plans from Ricky and Rudy so they might've already figured out how where it is!" said Lindsay just before Briallen shut the door to the study room.

Briallen ran to catch up with Lucan. "Hey, Lindsay says the others might have already found it!"

Lucan's head snapped to her but he didn't break stride. Reaching inside his pant pocket, he pulled out the small white card Reynard had given them on the first day of the scavenger hunt. The words on it were still that of the first clue. He slid it back in his pocket and muttered, "We've still got time. Here, look over the map Amir made us."

He gave Briallen the sheet of paper and she unfolded it. It was very confusing to look at because the layout rearranged itself as they walked, to reflect their current position in the school, and she could hardly read Amir's handwriting where he'd labeled the rooms. Briallen turned it over in her hands and brought it up close to her nose as she examined it.

They exited the library on the fourth floor and Briallen gasped as the layout changed again and a staircase off to the left of the page was highlighted in red. With a wave of her arm, Briallen directed Lucan to turn left. The staircase Amir's map highlighted was the very same staircase from the year before that Briallen and Lucan had taken to get to a gorgeous, abandoned chapel that overlooked the cemetery.

She kept offering Lucan directions, while he led the way with his wand, prepared to take on any competing teams they might run into.

"This can't be right," said Lucan suddenly, as he stopped at the beginning of a new hallway.

"The map says to go straight," Briallen confirmed. She looked up then and saw why Lucan had stopped. It was the ghostly hallway filled with spidery crates and dusty statues that Briallen had wandered down a year ago, and there was only one door at the end – the door to what Briallen had called the Chapel. She looked down at the map and saw the door to the Chapel highlighted. "Well… according to Amir's map, _that_ is the Room of Truth."

As Lucan stomped to the door, and Briallen followed casually behind him, he argued, "That can't be right! In the stories, the Room of Truth only opens to those who wish to be enlightened, just like Amir said. We've been in there several times without wanting to be 'enlightened,' and without any difficulty. Do _you_ think this is it?"

"I don't know, Lucan!" cried Briallen, frustrated by the confusion. She stepped in front of Lucan, pushing him aside. "But I'm going to find out!"

She pushed the door to the Chapel open. They both released the breath they hadn't even realized they'd been holding as they slowly entered. It looked exactly as it had the last time they were there: large stone pillars, large stained glass windows, splintered pews… but there was nothing in the room to suggest it was in any way extraordinary, or that it was home to some sort of treasure.

"I don't think there's anything here," said Lucan crest-fallen, taking a seat on one of the old pews in the middle of the room. "If this room has been open for a hundred years, its likely someone has already come in here and taken what we're looking for. Or there was nothing here in the first place and Reynard is just playing a sick game with us all! He certainly seems the sort…"

Briallen sat next to him. She leaned over and bumped him with her elbow to get his attention, and then smiled at him. "But it was still fun. Deciphering the clue, sneaking around the school, getting into fights…"

Lucan offered a wincing smile as he brought his hand up to bruised lip. "Completely unnecessary overreaction. He's a great, uncivilized ape, as my grandfather would say." Briallen didn't laugh but she was smiling. Lucan sighed and pulled the white card from his pocket. It was still on the first clue. "I just wish we knew what happened to the stone, or if there even is a special aragonite stone belonging to Fewter."

"Me too."

A rush of wind suddenly blew over them from somewhere at the back of the room. They turned around to see what was the cause of the gust but the door to the Chapel was closed, as were all the windows, and they were still alone. Another gust of wind blew over them just then, and then it was all around them. Briallen blinked, and when she opened her eyes again she saw the room was just a little different – it was cleaner, and more put-together. She blinked again and this time she was sure that there were new statues and candles, and there were tapestries on the wall.

"What's going on?!" Briallen shouted over the rising, whistling wind. She held tight to Lucan as the wind speed increased even more.

"The room is changing! I think we're entering the Room of Truth!" he shouted back before he began choking on Briallen's long hair as it blew in his face. He only managed to pull her hair out of his mouth once the wind had stopped.

Neither of them moved from the pew, just in case they weren't done moving yet, or the room wasn't done moving yet (Briallen wasn't sure which it was). Slowly, Briallen began to pull away from Lucan as she got a better look at was around her.

The room was blanketed in golden light and in shadows, and through the windows Briallen could see the sky was dark, even though it was only mid-day. The tall pillars, whose carvings were previously worn with age, looked brand-new. The embossed artwork in the pillars was so crisp that the plants and people it consisted of looked as if they might spring to life at any moment. The pew she and Lucan sat in was now a solid, shiny mahogany that felt smooth and cold under Briallen's fingers, and when she stepped into the center aisle between the rows of pews her slippers landed on something soft and thick.

She looked down and saw there was an plush, ornately woven carpet running down the center of the Chapel filled with images and scenes of famous witches and wizards like Merlin and Morgan le Fay. She slid her slippers off and walked barefoot down the aisle, letting her toes feel every string of the soft, shiny thread the carpet was made of. Her eyes were drawn to the tapestries on the walls next, which were just as ornate as the rug and seemed to tell a story about a mermaid an a dragon; Briallen didn't recognize the story but she was captivated by the woven mermaid who swam through an ocean in and between several tapestries.

She spun around to face the front of the Chapel only when she felt Lucan's hand squeeze her shoulder. She gasped, and instinctually brought her hands to her mouth to try and hide the sound she made, as she laid eyes on what was in front of her.

Not far in front of them, three stone steps led to a raised platform on which there were three omphali positioned in a triangular pattern that pointed to the aisle. The omphali were only a few feet high and looked like giant eggs cut in half, with a small basin at the top. Each had its own unique design of lines and archaic symbols embossed on them.

But the omphali weren't what Lucan wanted Briallen to see. He pointed to what was in the middle of the omphali triangle – a tall statue of a old man in long, draping ropes, and whose spindly fingers were pressed together in front of him as if he were praying. This alone was not all that bizarre, especially not in a place that so closely resembled a cathedral in Briallen's opinion.

What was so bizarre about the statue was its head.

It had three faces, and a flat top that Briallen thought must look, from above, like a triangle pointing opposite the omphali triangle. One embossed face was turned towards Briallen and Lucan, while the other two looked off into the left and right corners of the front of the room. And each face wore a different expression: the face looking at them was sad, while the one of the left was happy, and the one on the right was angry.

For a reason unknown to her, the statue frightened Briallen, and she could see it had the same effect on Lucan. She wanted to ask him if he saw an aragonite stone anywhere so that they could leave, but she couldn't form the words, and then she realized they didn't even know how to leave. Looking behind her she saw there was no door and she had a feeling that if she went to the windows she would see no ground – no anything. They were in an in-between space – a void.

Lucan slowly pulled Briallen closer to the platform at the front of the Chapel and, at first, Briallen resisted. She didn't want to go anywhere near the unsettling statue, with its three stone faces. But then she thought, _What better place to put a treasure than on an alter? The aragonite must be in one of those stone things…_

They stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked up at the statue. Suddenly, it looked down at them. Briallen opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. She clutched Lucan tightly and hid her face in his sweater.

"You cannot speak until we let you," boomed the statue, its stone lips spraying flecks of dust as they formed their words. "But we are sad and do not feel like conversation." It sighed and Briallen felt the room vibrate. It stood silent again, but kept its eyes (which lacked pupils) on Briallen and Lucan, both of whom were too afraid to move. Finally it asked, "Why are you here?"

Briallen refused to speak to the statue as she had a feeling it was the reason the room was called the Room of Truth. Lucan opened his mouth and seemed shocked by the words that came out as he said, "Because I want to prove myself to… to…" He struggled to keep from naming who it was he wanted to prove himself to. He was breathing heavily as he continued, "I wish to find an aragonite stone!"

The statue's head suddenly began spinning and the omphalos stone on the left shook and rumbled and then cracked down the center.

The head stopped spinning and now the happy face looked down mischievously upon them. "You lie to yourself! You have but two chances left to tell the truth, our friend. But we would not mind if you lie again for we so desire some company… we are just so _negative_ at times, and it is refreshing to be happy for once." It chuckled and Briallen felt the room vibrate again. For a moment, she thought she saw the sun and clouds out the windows, but she shook it off as wishful thinking. The statue then asked again, "Why are you here?"

"We want… Fewter's…" Lucan was turning pink as he struggled with his words, which came out through clenched teeth. "Fewter's aragonite stone!"

The statue's head began spinning quickly again, and the omphalos stone on the right cracked and split down the middle. Briallen was annoyed by this. She pulled Lucan's face to her and, because she could not speak, she slapped him hard across the cheek and glared at him. He snarled at her and then looked back up at the statue.

The head had stopped spinning and this time, its angry face was growling down at them. "YOU'RE A LIAR! YOU WILL NEVER GET WHAT YOU SEEK AND YOU ARE ANGERING US!" Its shouting caused the room to vibrate violently and Briallen knew she saw the sun, and the trees, and the clouds out the windows this time. The statue began roaring again, "YOU HAVE ONCE CHANCE LEFT OR YOU WILL REMAIN HERE! NOW ANSWER US – WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

Lucan cringed and Briallen cowered. "Because I want to prove to her that I'm not a bad wizard!" Lucan shouted back at the statue. "And we want _Fewter's aragonite stone_!"

The final omphalos, which was directly in front of them, rumbled and Briallen groaned internally, thinking it was going to crack again because Lucan hadn't named the person he apparently was trying to prove something to.

But the omphalos didn't crack – instead, a beam of light emanated from the basin at its top. The other two omphali magically repaired themselves and the statue's head began to spin again. Suddenly the beam of light went out and the statue's head flipped down, and the face that had apparently been on top of the head, and unseen before now, was looking smugly down at Briallen and Lucan.

"In the basin of the third omphalos you will find a reward for your honesty," whispered the statue. "And we hope you will remember that while at times it may be necessary to lie to others, it is never a good idea to lie to yourself. Take your gift and go now, let us return to our slumber for we are growing weary of you."

Hesitantly, Lucan and Briallen approached the omphalos in front of them. Within its shallow basis was a small, shiny, milk white stone with many orange needle-like crystals protruding from either end. Carefully, Lucan used two fingers to pick the stone up from its middle.

As soon as the stone left the basin, a violent whirlwind began again. Through her hair, which kept blowing over both her face and Lucan's face, Briallen watched as the room began to melt back to how it was normally. The lush aisle carpet dulled, frayed, withered, and eventually rotted away, along with almost everything else in the room. The three omphali stones and the multi-faced statue vanished completely.

The wind slowed, and then stopped. Relieved that she could see the sun shining again, Briallen pulled away from Lucan and tried to steady her rapid breathing.

"Where'd you guys come from?" snapped Grace, popping out from behind a column near the back of the room. She had her wand pointed at them. Her game partner, Melanie, appeared from behind another column on the other side of the room and she also had her wand on Lucan and Briallen.

"We, uh…" mumbled Briallen, trying to think of a story to tell Grace.

It was too late, though. The older girl's dark eyes had immediately found the sparkling crystal in Lucan's hand. "Is that the clue piece? It's the clue piece isn't it? Hand it over!"

Lucan put his hand behind his back and raised his wand at Grace. Briallen, seeing a fight was imminent, pulled out her wand as well.

"Hey, hey, now – calm down, Daniels," said Julian with a smile and a chuckle. He and his own partner, Peter, had just come through the door. Julian had his wand on Grace, while Peter had his pointed at Melanie. Grace scowled at them and lowered her wand and Melanie mimicked her friend. Julian continued, "It's too late now, check your cards. Second clue came up just before we came in."

Lucan turned his wand to Julian and growled, "We're not giving anyone the clue piece! We were nearly trapped in here trying to get it!"

Julian put his hands up in surrender and grinned at Lucan. "We're not looking to take it from you. You heard Reynard – it's the last clue piece that wins the game. I just wanted to thank whoever it was that figured it out and progressed the game. Well done, Stone, Bevin… wouldn't have expected the two of you to figure it out."

"We were the only ones to figure it out!" snapped Briallen. "Amir told us the only thing you guys knew was the Room of Truth – we figured out the actual clue piece!"

"Amir?" Julian turned to Peter, who was a Wenlock like Amir. Peter shrugged that he didn't know what Briallen was talking about. Julian's smiled faded and he looked thoughtful, and just a little angry. "You got them to help you, then. Clever. How'd you manage to convince them of that? What'd you do to them, Stone?"

Briallen answered before Lucan could. "We didn't have to convince them of anything! They quit the game willingly and said they'd help us if we asked. Well, we asked and they helped. Lucan didn't have to do _anything_ to them!" She glared at them all, showing them she was onto them being the source of all the tricks and pranks being played on her.

"Amir and Lindsay quit the game?" asked Melanie, sounding both uncertain and excited.

"That increases our odds, then," murmured Julian. He flashed a Cheshire grin. "And now the game has really started! What, or should I say, _who_, is next?"


	15. The Second Clue

Chapter 15: The Second Clue

**Chapter 15: The Second Clue**

Briallen and Lucan returned to the study room in the library where they'd left Amir and Lindsay, and were relieved when they saw the couple hadn't left yet. Briallen breathlessly told them everything that had happened, re-enacting most of it, while Lucan watched silently and nodded at certain points. When she finally finished, Briallen smiled and bowed, feeling quite proud of herself.

"And… is that why you're not wearing any shoes?" asked Lindsay, uncertain of what else to say or ask about their strange adventure.

"What?" Briallen looked down at her bare feet and groaned. She'd left her slippers back in the Room of Truth. She stomped her feet on the thin, old carpet of the library study room. "Those were my _favorite_…"

"Do you think all the clue pieces will be hidden somewhere in the school?" Lucan asked, looking directly at Amir. He played with the aragonite stone in his hands.

Amir put up his hands and said, "I don't know. But scavenger hunts usually get harder the further you progress, and I can't imagine there being many more rooms like the Room of Truth in the school. The only other one I can think of is the Room of Requirement, but unlike the Room of Truth, that's based more in legend than fact."

"Stories I have heard," said Lucan with a barely perceptible nod.

"Ain't we going to look at the next clue?" asked Briallen. She sat down next to Lucan with a plop. "Julian said it already appeared and I bet they're all working on figuring it out right now."

"We threw ours away," mumbled Lindsay, sounding embarrassed.

A little reluctantly, Lucan pulled the white card from his pocket and threw it on the table. His eyes kept fluttering closed and he was visibly tired but nobody took any notice of him. The four students leaned in to read what was written on clue card:

_Boxer said, "I won't ask twice."_

_Tally cried, "But you weren't concise!"_

_Boxer said, "Fine, once more:_

_bring me something I'll adore,_

_it's round and gold, and small and light,_

_and can be found in lore's spite."_

_Tally cried, "But you weren't clear,_

_I don't know why you appealed me here!"_

_and Boxer said, "Why can't you hear?_

_Don't ask me twice unless you're sincere!"_

They stared at the white clue card for what seemed to Briallen like hours. Then again, she'd thought she and Lucan had been in the Room of Truth for days, and was surprised to learn they'd only been gone a few minutes. She felt she couldn't trust herself with time anymore, not since she'd abused the time-turner. Lucan still refused to give it back, even though Briallen had shown him she was now using a day-planner and told him she'd taken the Verriatis Potion.

"Well, this riddle actually sounds _less_ confusing than the first," said Lindsay, snapping Briallen away from her thoughts. "It already tells us what you're looking for… so, I guess you just need to figure out where it actually is."

"Lore's spite," mused Amir, leaning back in his chair. "In a book, maybe? You could easily hide something small between the pages of a book."

"There are millions of books in this library alone," Lucan muttered. He roughly shoved the white card back in his pocket, bending it a little.

"At least we can be sure the others are just as stumped as are," said Briallen, trying to remain positive. Finding the first clue piece had put her in a good mood and increased her belief in their ability to win this game. "I mean, if Amir doesn't know what the clue's talking about then I doubt any of them do."

Amir coughed over his embarrassment as Lindsay giggled and leaned over to nuzzle his neck and whisper something unintelligible in his ear that made him blush.

"If I do come up with a theory, I'll be sure to let you both know right away. But as for now…" Amir paused and waved his wand over the table. The parchments on the table rolled up into one large tube. "We should return these to the administrative offices before a professor or secretary notices they're gone!"

"And we need to drop this stone off with Reynard," said Lucan, standing up.

They all waved and nodded goodbye to one another. Lindsay and Amir left for the portrait hall exit, while Lucan and Briallen walked down to the first floor exit. Briallen had again forgotten she wore no shoes, only remembering once they were outside and on their way to the clock-tower. She yelped and he snickered every time one of her bare feet hit the icy pebble walk-way. They hadn't even reached the greenhouses before she made him run to the clock-tower with her so that she could warm her feet by Reynard's stove sooner.

Once inside, Briallen went straight for the small wood stove under the stairs, lied on the rug in front of it, and held her feet up in front of the grate. She sighed happily, wiggling her toes in the waves of heat exuding from the grate. Lucan watched, amused by her silly behavior, as he sat down on the sofa nearest the stove.

"Shouldn't you go get him?" whispered Briallen from the floor.

"I'm not going up there… and I'm sure he heard us come in," replied Lucan in a low voice. He stared down at the stone in his hand and flipped it over. It was a strange stone, and he wondered why Reynard would send them after it and why he wanted it, or if he even _did_ want it. After what he's seen in the Dean's office, Lucan suspected Reynard's motives were less than innocent.

"I did hear ye! Louder than a pack of hippogriffs, the two of you are," Reynard grumbled hoarsely as he came down the stairs. His feet made no sound on the stone staircase. Briallen jumped up from the floor and stared at him; he looked just as he had the first time they'd met him, and even wore the same dusty tailcoat. The only time she'd seen him without his old tailcoat had been in her grandfather's office. He eyed her suspiciously. "What were you doing?"

"Warming my feet," mumbled Briallen, looking at the floor.

Reynard looked down at her bare feet, still wet with sleet, and waved his wand. A pair of old sneakers appeared on the floor in front of her. Without thanking him, Briallen took the shoes and sat down quietly next to Lucan. Lucan stretched out his hand holding the aragonite towards Reynard.

"Lovely, lovely," Reynard muttered under his breath as he snatched it from Lucan's hand and twirled in front of his eyes. His eyes snapped back to Lucan and Briallen as he said, "Well, what are you still doing here? Shove off! You've got another clue to work out, haven't you?"

Lucan and Briallen both jumped off the couch. While Lucan opened the door, Briallen hopped behind him as she put on the shoes Reynard had given her. Once outside they ran to the front of the castle, only stopping once they reached the statue of a stag next to the front doors.

"He gives me the heebie jeebies!" said Briallen, clutching her stomach. "Especially after that creepy statue…" She shuddered as she remembered the giant stone statue and its four faces. She looked up at Lucan to see if he agreed, but he was looking past her. Briallen turned around to see what had caught Lucan's attention.

Standing just outside the hedge maze were Gavin Ellison and Kara Price. Briallen watched as Kara rubbed and wiped her eyes and Gavin tried to wrap his arms around her. She pushed him away and shook her head and then ran towards Lucan and Briallen. She didn't acknowledge either of them as she ran into the school. Gavin began walking towards them then, his hands in the pockets of his trench coat and his head down.

"Briallen… feeling better?" Gavin asked while he was still a few feet away. She nodded and blushed. Briallen had told Lucan she'd taken a Verriatis Potion but she never told him how she'd gotten a hold of it, which she believed was why Lucan still hadn't return her time-turner – he didn't believe her.

"I'm good. How about you?" she asked, glancing at Bergamot's front doors. She was trying to discreetly ask about how he and Kara were doing. She was sad to see their relationship struggling.

"I'll be alright," he mumbled, kicking at the pebbles in the walkway. "Mrs Wadle wanted me to invite you to lunch."

Briallen nodded while Lucan stood silently, and uncomfortably, next to her. Gavin stared at him, and he stared back. She wasn't sure if Lucan was just trying to be intimidating, or if he was scared of Gavin, or if he was waiting for a dinner invitation as well. She chose the latter.

"Can he come with?" asked Briallen, pointing casually at Lucan. "He's working with me on the – the thing."

"Then I suppose he should come along. And I have another message for you. We can talk about it after dinner." Gavin had already turned away and begun walking to a carriage at the opposite end of the circular drive in front of Bergamot. It was a small cart, with one horse attached, and Briallen recognized it as belonging to Mrs Wadle.

"Are you allowed on school grounds?" Lucan asked Gavin with a slight bite, as he hopped into the back of the cart beside Briallen.

Gavin didn't answer but he did glance darkly back at Lucan, as did Briallen. He raised the reins and the horse took off down Rower's Road to The Village. Lucan and Briallen, who weren't wearing their winter cloaks, were freezing by the time they arrived at the Wadle house.

Mrs Wadle fawned over them the moment they walked through the door. Briallen didn't mind; she even enjoyed the attention as Mrs Wadle sat them on the couch, covered them with blankets, turned on her Wizard's Wireless to a station already playing holiday music, and fed them hot peppermint and licorice tea that made Briallen's fingers and toes tingle in a good way. By the time dinner was ready, both Briallen and Lucan were warmed up and in a good mood.

Over dinner Briallen explained to Gavin and the Wadles what had happened to her and Lucan in the Room of Truth, and she told them all about the Minister's visit a few days earlier and how the Minister checked Reynard's arm for the Dark Mark.

Mrs Wadle gasped and held her hand over her heart. "Oh, my dear! Perhaps this game isn't the best idea. And I don't like how Cal knows nothing of it."

"I'm sure he has an idea," said Mr Wadle, helping himself to another serving of lasagna. "He's the sort of man to know about all the things that go on in his school."

"Cal is too kind, he gives people too many chance… Really! Hiring a man suspected of being a Death Eater? I know You-Know-Who is no longer around but just because he doesn't have his Dark Lord to take orders from doesn't mean he's not trouble. That warlock may have never made it to America but his cronies and his ideas _did_. Those were hard times for everyone…"

Mrs Wadle's mouth was thin and her eyes glassy as she spoke about Lord Voldemort's affect in the United States.

"Are you a werewolf?" asked Lucan, blurting the question out. Briallen had noticed how he stared warily at both Mrs Wadle and Gavin throughout all of dinner, but she still couldn't believe he'd ask their host such a question.

"Lucan!" scolded Briallen before offering Mrs Wadle an apologetic and embarrassed grin.

Mrs Wadle put down her knife and fork, wiped her mouth delicately with her napkin, and then looked Lucan directly in the eyes. Briallen had only met the old woman twice before but she'd seemed very kind and friendly and so she didn't recognize the taut look on the old women's face and what it meant.

"Now look here, young man: I don't know what that awful grandfather of yours has put into your head but I've met your mother and I know how polite and well-mannered she is. So I can't believe she'd approve of you, as a guest in my house, being so rude to me and asking such a private, personal question that is absolutely none of your business. I think you'd do well to keep your mouth shut for the rest of your time here, if you can't be a polite and reasonable young gentleman," said Mrs Wadle in almost a whisper.

Lucan gulped and stared down at his plate while Briallen stared at the old woman, shocked by how hateful she sounded.

"Iris," said Mr Wadle cautiously. "Why don't you and I get these kids a slice of that delicious pumpkin pie you baked this morning."

Mr Wadle's distraction was unnecessary, however, as Mrs Wadle had already calmed back down to her normal cheerful self and chirped, "Absolutely! That sounds just lovely!"

While the Wadles busied themselves serving dessert, Gavin pulled a folded letter from his shirt pocket and handed it to Briallen. "I don't know much about this game you two are playing, but our friend seems familiar with it."

Briallen opened it and leaned closer to Lucan so he could read it with her.

_I'm sure you and your partner will find the answer to the first riddle_

_ on your own, however the second riddle may prove more difficult. I am _

_ not allowed to tell you exactly where to look – the hunt prevents me _

_ from doing so now matter how much I want to – but I can offer you _

_ another clue: The Library of Firsts. That is where you should conduct _

_ your search. I know you're clever enough to find where to go from there. _

_ And remember – he may not know his master still lives but he continues _

_ his work in his name. As always, be careful._

"Who sent this? And how do they know what we're doing, or that the second clue hints at its piece being in a book?" asked Lucan, sounding concerned.

"The game you play is not just any game – it's the hunt. Many have heard of it, but few have seen its trail. Our friend is one of the few. He tried to keep the trail hidden but the thief was desperate and ruthless and managed to uncover it," explained Mrs Wadle solemnly as she placed a plate of pumpkin pie in front of everyone at the table.

"Why is everybody speaking in riddles?" cried Briallen, pounding her fist on the table. "I want a straight answer!"

"The hunt prevents us from telling you anything directly," said Gavin. "I actually just told you the true name of the game, but I'm sure all you heard is 'the hunt.' I've tried writing it down, but the letters change. I've tried to tell you the truth but my words are changed."

"Is this the work of the Ministry?" Lucan asked with a roll of his eyes. "It sounds like something the Department of Dangerous Esoterics or the Department of Mysteries would do."

"Likely," mumbled Mr Wadle, his mouth full of pie. Mrs Wadle shook her head at her husband.

"What's The Library of Firsts?" asked Briallen. She got the feeling she was the only one at the table who didn't know.

"It's the very first library our founding fathers built when they arrived in this country hundreds of years ago. It holds the first edition of almost every book ever written by a witch or wizard," explained Gavin. "It's been moved around a lot but now it's at the Ministry of Magic."

"Well, why do we need to go there then? The clue doesn't say the item is in a first edition book."

"A lot of the books there only have the one edition."

"No one has answered my other question yet," cut in Lucan. "Who sent this letter?"

"He's asked that we keep his identity a secret for now. He can't let on that he's helping you or knows what's going on here, and he has his own problems to worry about right now," said Mrs Wadle. She was getting snippy again. "But he knows what he's talking about. He's the one who got us the recipe for the Verriatis Potion so that we could make it for poor Briallen, here."

The old woman patted Briallen's arm in a loving manner. Lucan wasn't pleased with the answer he received but he didn't dare ask Mrs Wadle anymore questions, and was silent until they left. Gavin was the one to take them back to school in the carriage again. Lucan jumped out as soon as they stopped and looked back to make sure Briallen followed him. She took her time getting out of the cart so that she could give Gavin a hug and say goodbye. Lucan, suspicious, watched as Gavin whispered something in Briallen's ear and she nodded.

Once she'd hopped out of the cart and waved goodbye to Gavin once more, and they were walking to the front doors, Lucan muttered, "I don't think he's allowed on school grounds."

"Just shut up, Lucan!" spat Briallen. "You've been nothing but a jerk tonight! And I want my thingy back – tomorrow morning!"

"Fine! And I want you to finally explain to me what is going on with the Wadles and Gavin, like how long you've been talking to them about our _secret_ game!" Lucan snapped back as they walked into the entrance hall.

"What secret game?" asked Hayden, popping up unexpectedly from somewhere behind them.

Briallen spun around, shocked. She looked behind him. The only logical place Hayden could have come from was the bench next to the front doors. Beside him stood the petite Belphoebe Astley, who wore a small, sly smile. Briallen had never actually spoken to either of the Astley sisters but she still loathed the both of them. As her eyes went over Belphoebe and took in the girl's whispy blonde hair, large blue eyes, and porcelain skin she thought, _It's not natural to look that perfect…_ The sisters' lack of flaws made her uneasy.

She whipped her focus back to Hayden and hoped she hadn't stared at Belphoebe for long. With what she hoped was mild annoyance, she said, "Just a silly initiation type of thing that Mr Teaberry is putting us through." What she had just said made no obvious sense and she knew Hayden wouldn't believe it. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Yes! Bella told me you disappeared in a carriage with Stone and I was worried! He's _bad news_, Briallen… you know why I hit him that day." He whispered the last few words, in an obvious attempt to keep Belphoebe from overhearing him.

Until now Briallen had thought Hayden was trying to avoid getting her in trouble by not mentioning to anyone he hit Lucan because the Platt boy drew the Dark Mark on her… but now she doubted that idea. And it made Briallen angry. Lucan smartly walked away after giving Hayden the nastiest look he could muster and disappeared down the corridor that led to the dungeons. Hayden nodded to Belphoebe and, clearly disappointed, she left them alone as well.

"You do know Carey Stone has always been suspected of being a Death Eater, right? In the name of Merlin – Lucan _proved_ his grandfather is a Death Eater by drawing that mark on your arm!" whispered Hayden in anger and, Briallen detected, fright. "He knew exactly what it looked like!"

"And so do you, apparently! Since you, you know, _recognized_ it in the first place! And I know Lucan can be mean and jerky sometimes, but he's not _evil_; he's my _friend_!" Briallen growled.

This statement seemed to infuriate Hayden and for the first time the pink tinge in his cheeks wasn't because of an embarrassed flush, but due to anger. Luckily Toby walked out of the dining hall just then and said, "Hey, Briallen! I was just talking with Noah and…" He paused and looked from Hayden to Briallen, both of whom looked very angry. "Am I interrupting? I could just – I can wait–"

"No, you're fine, Toby," muttered Hayden.

Toby nodded but Briallen could tell her friend didn't really believe Hayden from the look on his face. Still, he approached them and smiled genially at them both and continued with what he was saying before, "So I was just talking with Noah and he mentioned he gave you tickets to a Quodpot game… do you have enough for me?"

"Yeah," said Briallen, trying to smile. "He gave me a whole box! So that's me, my parents and my grandpa, and Hayden, and you, and Marisol…"

"Marisol can't go. She already asked her parents but they told her they're going to Puerto Rico for winter break to visit family. One of her aunt's just gave birth to twins or something."

"I don't know if I can make it either," said Hayden quickly.

"I'll just invite Lucan then!" responded Briallen just as quickly. They glared at each other while Toby watched and waited for another fight.

But Hayden just shrugged and mumbled, "I'll go to the game." He leaned over suddenly and gave Briallen an apathetic kiss on the cheek. "I've got a study group for Humanities now. I'll see you at dinner."

"Alright," said Briallen with a careless shrug of her own. Once he was out of sight she turned to Toby. "He's crazy! Did you know he was waiting for me? It was like something out off one of those made-for-TV movies: 'Jealous boyfriend stalks girlfriend!'"

"What do you expect, Briallen? He's been in love with you for a year, God knows why, and he finally gets you to go out with him and you're always _mean_! You don't even want to hang out with him."

"His idea of 'hanging out' is sneaking away to a _closet_ to _make-out_, Toby. I didn't think that's what having a boyfriend was all about, and I really don't like how he's always _pushing_ me… He's pushing me to make-out, he's pushing me to relax and meditate, he's pushing me to drop Lucan as a friend. It just makes me so angry sometimes!" She shook her head and stomped her foot.

"Lucan's your friend now?" Toby asked, frowning.

"Not you too, Toby! Please!" she begged as they started to shuffle up the grand staircase.

He put his hands up. "You already know what I think of him… so what are you doing now?"

"I think I'm going to go study." She paused to sigh. They walked past the poetry-reciting suit of armor who was currently entertaining a group of first years with an exciting poem about Robin Hood. The poem reminded her of Hayden. She scowled at the suit of armor, even though it couldn't see her. "Without Quodpot practices I have more time for classes and I really need to get my grades up. Did you know you can get kicked off the team if your grades are too low?"

"Most schools have that rule. It doesn't seem to worry Marisol, though," said Toby. "But she's a Wenlock."

"Of course," said Briallen.

She stomped the rest of the way to the Withers common room, ready to put the drama of the day behind her.


	16. Pilot Mountain

Chapter 16: Pilot Mountain

**Chapter 16: Pilot Mountain**

The line in front of Hamlet Hall went from inside the front doors, down the front walk, along the sidewalk, and just stopped at the turn of the corner. Nearly everyone in line wore one of two colors: red, or blue. Some of the people in red also wore black, while some of the people in blue also wore gray, but the one thing they all had in common was that they were all bundled in heavy winter coats or cloaks, and boots and mittens.

The sidewalks and the streets of The Village were clear of snow but everywhere else was covered in at least two feet of the fluffy white flakes. Nobody minded though. They were all chattering with high pitched squeals and low pitched chuckles, their hot breath coming out in waves of small foggy clouds. Some of the more playful (and bored) witches and wizards in line used their wands to turn their foggy puffs of breath into animals or words, encouraging those around them to laugh. Trays of free hot apple cider, hot cocoa, and hot tea floated up and down the line, offering a bit of warmth in the cold weather; and then there were the witches in Hamlet Hall uniforms walked up and down the line selling warm waffles smothered in hot fudge, bowls of steaming scrambled eggs, and quarter-sized chunks of Fire-salt Taffy.

"It's actually just east of Pilot Mountain," said Mr Cohen, Abraham's dad, to Cal Bevin. He grabbed them both a cup of hot tea from a nearby tray and then handed one cup to a thankful Cal. "They still named the stadium after the mountain, though. It's one of the best in the nation and just recently remodeled."

"It sounds very nice. I'm looking forward to watching a professional Quodpot game for the first time. It's something I've been meaning to do since I moved to the states decades ago! Just never got 'round to it," said Cal with a chuckle.

Briallen watched the two adults engage in their friendly conversation, wishing that her friends would do the same with her. She hadn't even touched the cider in her hands.

And Hayden had been acting cold towards her since she'd come back from Mrs Wadle's with Lucan. He'd hardly spoken to her during their last two weeks of fall term and in the last week he had even stopped following her around. So she was surprised when he showed up at her grandfather's house three days after school let out for winter break, asking when they were going to the Zephyrs versus Dragons game.

She was happy her boyfriend had come along, even if they weren't currently on speaking terms.

Behind her, Toby and Abe were competing with each other over who could turn their foggy breath into the most complicated object. Since neither was very good at Transfiguration, Abe was currently winning with his foggy pear while Toby was still trying to create something other than a round fruit. She smiled at Toby and Abe as she popped a chunk of white Fire-salt Taffy in her mouth. Instantly she broke out in a hot sweat and steam poured out her ears but the chill she had was now gone. She decided it would be best to stick to the yellow taffy for the rest of the morning.

_I wish more of my friend's could've come,_ she thought as she used her scarf to wipe her ears clear of the condensation from the steam they just emitted. She had only managed to fill a small portion of the stadium box Noah had given her, and surprised that it was difficult to find people to invite. Her parents had been unable to make it because one of their cows was about to give birth, Marisol was in another country, and almost everybody else had plans. Finally she asked her old Potions partner, Abe, if he and his family would like to come along. Not even all of the Cohens could make it apparently, as he showed up that morning at Cal Bevin's house with only his father in tow.

_I wonder if I did something and everybody is trying to ignore me? _Her brow crinkled as she thought over all the things she had said and done in the last few weeks of class. She couldn't remember offending or angering anyone. _They must really be busy then… I just wish Hayden would at least talk to me!_

"Hey, Hayden, do you want to play that game with Toby and Abe?" Briallen asked her boyfriend, hoping he'd play with her and get over his foul mood. He muttered something under his breath and shook his head as he pulled his cap down further over his eyes and lifted the hood of his cloak. All she could see now was the scowl on his lips. She rolled her eyes.

The line moved forward a little bit. Briallen looked around, bored, wishing there weren't so many people wanting to use Hamlet Hall's Portkeys today. She wanted to get to the stadium already so that she'd have something to do other than stand around in an uncomfortable silence. Luckily Mr Cohen had actually been to a Quodpot game before and knew it was best to leave at least an hour before the game started because of the lines.

"We should've just flown to Pilot Mountain!" huffed Briallen, tossing her hands in the air in frustration. "We'd be there already!"

"And frozen like popsicles!" added Mr Cohen cheerfully. "You think we got a bad snow? North Carolina was hit with _six feet_! The Wireless this morning said it took the groundskeepers two hours to clear all the snow out of the stadium!"

"Why didn't they use magic? Are they not allowed?" asked Briallen, amazed the stadium hadn't cancelled the game due to the weather.

"Of course they're allowed to use magic! The stadium's out in the middle of nowhere, the Muggles have no idea about it… there was just so much snow! It looks light and fluffy but it's heavy." Suddenly the line surged forward and began moving much faster than before. "Oh! Looks like they finally opened more Portkeys!"

"Attention! Attention, everybody!" boomed a shrill voice. On a ladder near the front doors to Hamlet Hall was a frazzled witch. "Those of you going to Pilot Mountain go right, everybody else go left! Pilot Mountain groups – we are assigning ten people per Portkey, so if you don't want to wait any longer, you will make your own groups of ten, otherwise you will be asked to wait to the side until we can add more to, or subtract from, your group!"

Everybody in line started grumbling and murmuring as they all tried to put together groups of ten. Again, Briallen was glad Mr Cohen came along. He was a highly pragmatic wizard and right away he found a family of four to share a Portkey with. With the line moving faster now and their group of ten already put together, as soon as they entered the large ballroom just inside Hamlet Hall they were ushered to Portkey seven.

Briallen moved to the front of her group in order to get a better look at the Portkey they would be taking. She watched curiously as the group in front of them assembled in a circle around a thick metal pole with ten thin metal arms. Briallen had been in Hamlet Hall only a few times before but she didn't remember ever seeing anything like this Portkey before. A countdown clock above the group began counting down from ten and on one, each member of the group at the Portkey took hold of one of the ten thin, metal arms and disappeared in a whoosh, along with the Portkey.

Toby had come up beside Briallen without her noticing and gasped when the people and the Portkey disappeared. Briallen turned to him and grinned. He grinned back.

Another metal pole with ten arms suddenly appeared, or it might have been the same pole – Briallen wasn't sure.

"Everybody find their place," said Cal as he moved in front of an arm.

The countdown clock above them started at one minute. The family of four that they had formed a group with moved to the opposite side of the Portkey so that on the left side of Cal were Briallen, Toby and Hayden, and on the right side were Abe Cohen and his father.

"I feel like I should say something when we take hold of this thing," Toby said to Briallen.

"Like: 'beam me up, Scotty!'" suggested Briallen.

"Pew, pew, pew!" Toby held both of his pointer fingers up like they were guns as he made his laser-gun sound. "Take that Khan!"

Briallen laughed loudly while everybody else at the Portkey stared at them, confused by the conversation.

"I'm glad you're both enjoying this," said Cal with a smile. "Just remember, don't let go until we've landed. And be sure to brace yourselves, it's a rather jolting ride the first time!"

Hayden groaned and clutched his stomach. Briallen motioned for Toby to switch places with her so that she was between him and Hayden. She put her hand on Hayden's back and rubbed it gently. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Hayden mumbled, nodding his head. "It's just anxiety. I hate these things."

The countdown clock was at ten now. Toby didn't look quite as excited anymore and was breathing more rapidly. Cal and Abe were exceptionally calm as they held their hands above the metal arms in front of them.

"Everybody get ready!" said Mr Cohen, his large cheeks and nose pink with excitement. The clock hit one. "Go!"

Briallen gripped the metal arm in front of her on Mr Cohen's last word. She wanted to gag as she felt an odd sensation in the pit of her stomach, like someone had just thrown a hook through her belly-button and was towing her in on a fishing line. She jerked to the left and then she was rapidly spinning.

All at once the trip ended, and she felt something cold beneath her and she could see the clear blue sky above her. And then she saw Abe looked down at her with a crooked smile. "You let go too soon!" he exclaimed as he held out a hand and helped Briallen up off the wet ground.

As Briallen wiped the snow off her jeans, Abe went to help up Toby, who landed a few feet away from the Portkey (which was now gone). Off to the side, Cal and Mr Cohen were examining a fold-out map of the stadium along with their tickets, while Hayden stood by himself not far from Briallen.

Abruptly a loud and friendly feminine voice echoed above them from a place unseen and announced, "Welcome to Pilot Mountain Stadium, home of the Durham Dragons! Concessions can be found outside of each section of seating! Restrooms are located in even numbered sections, and our gift shops can be found in odd numbered sections! Meet the Dragons' mascot, Sparky, in Lot C on the north side of the Stadium! The children's Quodpot Contest is now starting in Lot G! Meet Dent and Oz from Wireless Channel Eight in Lot A! The Dragons' game against the Chicago Zephyr's will begin in thirty-seven minutes!"

Briallen looked around her for an indication of where they were located compared to the announcement. In front of her was the stadium, and as she spun around, she saw that just behind her was a large sign floating in the air that read, 'LOT B – PORTKEY ARRIVALS.' She held her breath for a moment, realizing how close they were to the Dragons' mascot.

As if he were calling to her just then a loud, rumbling roar came from her left. She spun around again, eager to see the dragon.

"Children! Come over here for a moment," Cal called to them all. Briallen ran to her grandfather and began jumping up and down and pointing to the left.

"Lot C! Lot C! _Lot C_!" she managed to say between squeals.

"We rooting for the Zephyrs, Briallen!" Toby scolded. Abe nodded seriously in agreement as he pulled a blue baseball cap with a swirling tornado spinning around the brim over his head.

"But–But–DRAGON!" she blurted.

Hayden was staring at his excited girlfriend, clearly embarrassed by her behavior. He glanced at the crowds around them and then pulled his hood lower over his face.

"I'll take Briallen and anyone else who wishes to Sparky to Lot C in a moment. First, let's get our seats settled," said Cal Bevin calmly. He handed a ticket to everybody before he began speaking again. "We're in Green Box Three… that's on the other side of the stadium. Toby, Hayden – since Mr Cohen and I are your guardians for the day, I ask that you please remain with once of us. At least for the time being. Now, Mr Cohen is going to the box now, and I'm taking Briallen to Lot C. Choose where you want to go."

Abe opted to accompany his father to their seats, and Toby made the same decision. Hayden surprised Briallen and chose to go with her and Cal.

"See you three at game-time!" said Mr Cohen as he cheerfully waved goodbye to Cal, Briallen, and Hayden.

As they walked over to Lot C, Briallen took hold of Hayden's hand. He resisted slightly at first but quickly gave in. She didn't understand how he could still be angry with her over something as silly as going to dinner with Lucan when they were both invited by the old witch. She didn't want to dwell on Hayden's odd behavior though. Not when she was so close to seeing, in real life, her most favorite animal: a dragon.

A wave an heat suddenly swept over them and from over the heads of the crowd in front of her a great stream of fire erupted. The crowd screamed, clapped, and cheered. Another stream of fire appeared over their heads. The crowd was too thick for them to get any closer now.

Cal took Briallen's free hand. Together, the three of them snaked through the mass of people until they came to a thinner part of the crowd where they could stand right next to the wood fence that surrounded Sparky, the Dragons' mascot.

Briallen was awed. Her wide-eyes took in the great silvery dragon before her: it was only as large as a pick-up truck, with a long snout that ended in a point and out of which great tendrils of smoke swirled in the wind. There were four thin, twirled horns on its head and a curved horn on its stump of a tail. The dragon's black eyes scanned the crowd as it huffed threateningly but the group of witches and wizards inside the pen kept it from harming anyone.

"Do you know the breed?" Cal asked Briallen. He knew of her love of dragons.

"New England Silverscaled Horntail! It's tiny though, still an adolescent, maybe two or three years old," said Briallen all at once. She almost half-way over the fence.

"You know your dragons," said one of Sparky's handlers. "But that doesn't mean you can come in the pen!"

Cal pulled Briallen off the fence and smiled apologetically at the handler. "Sorry. She's never seen a dragon before."

"They're my favorite!" she squealed. "I want to be a dragon handler like you!"

The handler chuckled. "I think you've got a bit more time before you make that decision!"

"She certainly does," said Cal, sounding slightly worried. He still had a hand on his granddaughter's shoulder, afraid she might just be brash enough to storm the dragon's pen. "I think her love of dragons is more a love of fire… and other dangerous things."

Briallen wrinkled her nose in disagreement at her grandfather. Hayden snorted and his shoulders shook with silent laughter. The dragon spread its wings all of a sudden and behaved as if were about to breathe fire again, but then it settled down and returned to eyeing the crowd.

"Show off!" the handler shouted at Sparky. He turned his attention back to Cal. "Well, an affinity for a fire certainly helps when it comes to this job. Everyday I'm singed, scorched, and burnt!"

"It's worth it though, isn't it?" asked Briallen, hopeful.

The handler shrugged. "Sometimes I think about finder an easier, duller job… but this one is truly addictive what with the constant adrenaline rush. It may be scary but it's a damn good time!"

If Briallen had glanced at her grandfather just then, she would have seen the concern in his eyes. Even Hayden was looking, anxiously, between the handler and Briallen. "Well, thank you very much for speaking with us but I think we should find our seats now!" said Cal, shaking the handlers hand.

"No!" whined Briallen as she wrapped her arms around the fence. "I want to stay here! I have my ticket – I'll meet you in our box!"

"I don't think so, Briallen. Your parents would skin me if I let you wander this place on your own. The game starts in fifteen minutes anyhow and it will take us about that long to get to our seats."

The handler winked at Briallen as she grudgingly left the dragon's pen. She pouted the whole way to their seats on the other side of the stadium.

"What's with these two Grouchy Glumbumbles?" said Mr Cohen as Hayden and Briallen, both solemn, entered Green Box Three.

"Briallen didn't want to leave the dragon," said Cal, shaking his head. He sat down next to Mr Cohen in the second row of the box.

Briallen and Hayden went down to the first row and sat next to Toby and Abe. Briallen stared at Toby, who had clearly visited the gift shop. Her good friend was decked out entirely in Zephyrs gear. Pinned to his puffy winter jacket were several large Zephyrs pins, all of which were enchanted to either blink blue and silver, or swirl, or make tornado noises. He also had a hat like Abe's, a giant, blue foam finger where the finger moved of its own accord, and a bag full of other memorabilia propped carelessly against the cement half-wall in front of them. Abe and Toby had also somehow gotten their faces painted in Zephyrs colors.

"Jesus, Toby, how much money did you spend?" asked Briallen, gawking at his over-the-top enthusiasm.

"Too much, but I have plenty left for snacks! My mom is still confused by the conversion rate between dollars and galleons so she just gave me a big wad of cash!" said Toby excitedly.

Cal leaned forward and asked, "Would you and Hayden like a Zephyrs hat or pin?"

"I'm a Dragons fan, Grandpa!" said Briallen with a smile.

Abe shook his head at her and Toby playfully shoved his foam finger in her face. She pushed him away, laughing loudly. Just then the feminine voice Briallen heard when they first arrived boomed over them again.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Pilot Mountain Stadium, home of the Durham Dragons! Now please welcome the Dragons!"

The crowd roared as a blur of people zoomed out from somewhere under the section Briallen sat in. A shower of red and black sparks followed them and flames shot up out of the ground from where the team had exited.

The din of the crowd died just enough for Briallen to make out the announcer's next words: "And now, the visiting team – the Chicago Zephyrs!"

The roar from the crowd wasn't nearly so loud as it was for the Dragons. A swarm of small blue and silver birds followed the Zephyrs team out onto the pitch and then spun in a tornado formation before scattering into the sky. Abe and Toby were standing in their seats and cheering the Zephyrs on.

Finally, with a loud bang from a cannon, the game began. Briallen quickly got over her disappointment at having to leave the dragon pen as she eagerly watched the professional Quodpot players on the pitch below her. They were faster, more brutal, and much more efficient and organized than any of the teams at Bergamot. She was so absorbed in the game that she didn't even notice Hayden had left the box until he returned, holding a mug of warm butterbeer.

"Oh, that looks delicious! Can I have a sip?" Briallen asked as she wrapped her arm around Hayden's arm and leaned towards him.

He shook his head and muttered something she couldn't quite make out. She pulled away from him and snapped, "What's your problem, Hayden? I've been trying to be nice to you all day! A couple of months ago you would've fallen all over yourself to share a drink with me and you would've died to spend the day with me!"

"I'm not the same man I was a few months ago," he whispered.

"…_Man_?" Briallen paused to snort at the word. "And so, what? You can't even pretend to be happy or thankful that you at least got a free ticket to a Quodpot game?"

He leaned in closer to her and whispered angrily, "Don't act like you haven't noticed we've grown apart, Briallen!"

"_Grown apart_?"

"You spend all your time with Lucan now! The whole school's talking about it! About _you and him_."

"I really doubt that, Hayden."

"My _friends _are talking about it! They laugh at me because of you!"

"Well then why don't you just dump me already if I embarrass you so much!" she growled at him.

"I'm trying to!" he cried, frustrated.

Briallen gasped and fell back in her seat. She could feel the tears coming and she knew she couldn't stop them. She held her breath, hoping that would keep the tears at bay until she could make it to a bathroom stall. Her grandfather called out to her as she ran out of the box but she ignored him.

She ran to the section to the right of their own and straight into the first empty stall she could find. Finally she let her tears fall, though not after trying once more to choke them back. She hadn't realized how she'd taken Hayden for granted until she was heaving and wailing in the toilet stall.

There was a knock on the stall door. "You okay in there, sweetie?" asked a concerned witch. Briallen could just barely make out pointed purple boots under the stall door through her watery lashes.

"I-I-I'll be o-okay," Briallen managed to mumble, sniffling after every word. She felt silly and stupid for crying over a boy she never really liked that much; and she couldn't understand _why_ she was crying when she never wanted a boyfriend to begin with. After taking several deep breaths, Briallen wiped her eyes, and calmed herself down. She left the stall and went to the sinks to splash some cold water on her face and to try and make herself less red and puffy.

When she finally left the bathroom she found Toby waiting for her.

"What happened?" he asked in a whisper as he put his arm around her.

"Hayden dumped me! After he accepted a free ticket to the game, of course." She began to huff again but she suppressed the tears.

"You're _joking_!" cried Toby, outraged. Some of the people nearby turned to stare at him but then quickly went back to what they were doing. He lowered his voice. "What a jerk! I can't believe I thought he was a nice guy…"

"He _was_ a nice guy," bemoaned Briallen. "He just changed… it's because of all those girls, I know it!"

"What? What girls? What are you talking about?"

"All the girls that are after him now… you know, after he hit Lucan," mumbled Briallen.

Toby didn't say anything but his brow furrowed and he seemed doubtful of Briallen's theory. "Right. Look, let's get some butterbeers, okay? That's what I told your grandpa I was doing."

With a weak nod, Briallen let Toby lead her to a nearby concession stand selling butterbeer and churros. She was still too upset to really talk and so they waited in line, silently, and Toby kept his arm around her. To keep her mind off of Hayden, Briallen listened intently to the conversations going on around her.

"Cotterhill's really kicking ass today! You seen those last few goals, right? Outrageous!" exclaimed a teenage boy with spiky hair.

"So what if he scored three times in a row? Those are the only times he's scored today!" retorted the spiky-haired boy's friend.

"No joke! Wiffin has been the most consistent so far – six points total she's gotten already and it's only the second quarter! If she keeps it up the Zephyrs are definitely gonna win!" said a girl who was standing between the two boys.

"Only if Nibbs stops fouling our team! How blind is that referee?"

"I wish we could cast an Enlargement Charm on his eyeballs – then he'd see better!" fumed the spiky-haired boy.

"Yah," said the girl. "The only good thing about Cyril Nibbs is how good-looking he is! I mean – his _muscles_, oh my…"

A woman in front of the three friends snorted in disgust and said, "Nibbs? Ew! Maxy is easily the most gorgeous guy on the field. I'm going to be Mrs Cotterhill one of the days!"

"Whatever," retorted the girl with a snicker. "Brenda Lance has a better chance at marrying him and he's dumped her _twice_!"

The silly banter between the groups made Briallen smile. She was already feeling much better, and when she and Toby were finally the next to be served, Briallen whipped out a handful of sickles from her pocket.

"What can I get you Miss?" asked the surly cart keeper.

"Three butterbeers and three churros, please," said Briallen. She turned to Toby and smiled. "For you, me, and Abe."

Toby, never one to turn down free food and drink, shrugged and happily helped Briallen haul their treats back to their box. Hayden had moved from the first row and now sat in a corner seat at the very back of the box. Cal raised his brow at her while she sat down, but Briallen merely shook her head and handed a surprised Abe a warm butterbeer and churro.

_I'm not going to let him ruin my day anymore!_


	17. A Blue Christmas

Chapter 17: A Blue Christmas

**Chapter 17: A Blue Christmas**

"Mom, this place smells bad and it's _boring_," whined Briallen in a strange, nasally voice because she had pinched her nose shut with her fingers. Normally, Briallen would have found the smell of cranberries, plums, and cheese appealing but in Briar's Winery, where those delicious scents mingled with that of alcohol, Briallen found them revolting. The smell reminded her of a hospital gift shop, which made her uncomfortable. Itching with energy, she shifted from one foot to the other several times in the span of seconds.

"Would you like some cheese with your whine?" joked Norah Briar, who the Briar in charge of running the family's Winery. The Briar matriarch giggled at her own joke as she set a platter of individual cheese cubes on a display near the front counter.

"Oh, ha-ha-ha, you're just so _funny_!" said Briallen sarcastically.

"Watch your sass," said Meda Bevin warningly as she looked over a green wine bottle. Briallen rolled her eyes and then helped herself to one of the cheese samples Norah had just put out.

Briallen had woken up that morning excited because her grandfather had convinced Meda to take Briallen Christmas shopping in The Village – even though Christmas was only a week away and Meda had finished all her shopping for the season. This had made Briallen hope that she and her mother would have a relaxing day window shopping and going to lunch, and so she had bounded out the door to the carriage in glee, excited for a distraction from her thoughts about Hayden. However, the moment she and her mother reached the shopping district in the center of town, Meda had insisted on browsing inside all the adult stores Briallen found boring, leaving Briallen to stare glumly out the windows at all the people having a good time that morning.

"I'm really beginning to enjoy visiting this little town, you know," mentioned Meda absent-mindedly as she looked over yet another bottle of wine she'd just picked up. "I think I'm going to get this for the Macalisters…"

"Yay," said Briallen, unenthused. While she was happy her mother was growing more comfortable with the wizarding world, she didn't want to spend the whole morning in a wine shop. The gold and purple walls were starting to turn her stomach in an unpleasant way, as was the shop's strange smell. "Can we please go to the toy store after this? Or go get some lunch or something?"

"I want to visit that talisman store you were talking about the other day. I want to pick up something for Oka. And we should get something a little extra for our mailman for putting up with those strange letters your friends sometimes send."

"Maybe another bottle of wine? Or a gift basket?" suggested Norah hopefully. She squeezed out from behind her counter and from a nearby shelf she grabbed a reed-weaved basket wrapped in plastic and tied with red and green ribbons. Inside the basket was an assortment of wine-related items. "Here, this is the _perfect_ gift for Muggles! Nothing enchanted is included so it's Ministry approved – see, there's a selection of our five most popular cheeses, two hand-carved wine stoppers, a hand-made wine opener, two boxes of imported crackers, and a bottle of our 1980 Holiday Shiraz… it has a lovely taste of black-currents and a bit of elderberry, along with a slight tinge of toffee from being aged in some of our finest oak barrels. It's the perfect wine for a Christmas dinner."

Briallen couldn't imagine anyone being interested in a gift as boring as the basket Norah just described but her mother asked, "How much?"

"Our seasonal pricing is seven galleons, four sickles," said Norah.

"Really? That's… what, about thirty dollars?" mused Meda, a hand on her hip. Norah, for some reason, looked to Briallen to confirm or deny Meda's conversion rate. Briallen shrugged, knowing nothing about the rate between galleons and dollars, and so Norah just continued smiling at Meda. "Well, I think that's reasonable, especially since none of this can be found in our shops!"

Meda paid for the gift basket and an extra bottle of wine and then finally, to Briallen's relief, they left Briar's Winery.

"Oh, wow, has it gotten colder out?" said Meda, shivering, as the door to the winery shut behind them and the door's bell jingled merrily. Meda put her bags down on the sidewalk for a moment to readjust her scarf and hat.

Briallen waited patiently next to her mother and looked around snow-covered Trice Cross, hoping to see a few friends. Everything in the town was covered in green garlands or plaid ribbons or dried cranberries, and draped in rainbow colored lights that twinkled brightly even though it was mid-day and Briallen could see no wires or plugs anywhere. Rectangular banners hung from all the lamp posts wished everybody a 'Happy Holidays!' and then cycled between 'Merry Christmas!' and 'Happy Chanukah!'

Briallen opened her arms and took in a deep breath with a large smile. Happily, she could breath normally again and enjoy the scent of pine, sugar cookies, molasses, and pumpkin that seemed to hover permanently above the town. She could feel her spirits lifting greatly after being weighed down by the heavy atmosphere of the winery, even though there were a great many people shopping and dining in The Village that day.

"I love this time of year," Briallen said to her mother who was picking up her bags already.

Even though she held bags in both hands, Meda wrapped an arm around her daughter. "We can visit the other shops later – let's get something to eat now."

"Yes, please!" cried Briallen happily. Then she realized where her mother was guiding her – The Yellow Room. Her least favorite restaurant in the whole town, with its pastel walls and cutesy décor. "No… Mom, anywhere but there!"

"Aw, come on, pumpkin. Mrs Briar said it was nice."

"It's all… _gooey_," explained Briallen, wrinkling her nose. She gazed warily through the snow-sprinkled boxed window panes and at the crowd inside. Couples cuddled in the booths while families with small children laughed and chatted merrily at overcrowded tables in the center of the restaurant.

"Let's just give it a shot, okay?"

They were already at the door and Briallen knew fighting anymore would be pointless. And she didn't want her mother getting on her case about having a bad attitude or Meda wouldn't buy her the BowderBall she so desperately wanted.

_And I'm the only kid at school without a BowderBall! _thought Briallen, her lips pursed. _I just have to put up with this puke-ugly place for a little while and then I'll have one…_

"How cute!" said Meda as they walked in. The restaurant looked just as it had the last time Briallen had been there, with its yellow walls and pale pink daisy-printed booths and tables, but now it was also overdone in holiday decorations. Tinsel, metallic multi-colored garlands, twinkling lights, mini puffy-paper Christmas trees, and holly and mistletoe were everywhere. Briallen couldn't keep herself from gagging as she stared in horror at the restaurant's interior.

Meda shook her head at her daughter and said, "Don't start. No sass, remember?"

"Hello! Table for two?" asked a waitress wearing a red uniform with a green apron. The Yellow Room was usually self-seating but it seemed that because of the holiday crowd, customers were being seated by the seasonal wait staff. "Inside or outside?"

"Oh, inside," said Meda, slightly confused since she thought it was too cold outside for outdoor dining.

The waitress seemed to recognize the look on Meda's face as she added, "We've put warming charms on the chairs and tables outside and had a specialist come in and put a Weather-Block Charm over the patio."

"That's nice but we still prefer to sit inside," said Briallen abruptly, sitting down at the little round table the waitress had led them to.

"Okay, of course," said the waitress with a smile that contradicted the tone of her voice. "Our lunch special today is our home-made pumpkin soup. For ten sickles you get a bowl of soup, a bread basket, and a fountain drink, milk, or tea."

"I want a turkey cranberry sandwich and a pecan salad." Briallen pushed away the menu the waitress had just put down without even looking at it. She really was trying to be nice but The Yellow Room brought back memories of Hayden and had put her in an unavoidably foul mood.

Meda gave Briallen a warning glance and then smiled at the waitress and said, "I'll have the special, thanks. With two glasses of milk, please."

Once the waitress had left their table Meda leaned across the table and said in a whisper, "Keep it up Briallen Nashoba Bevin and you'll be staying in your room tomorrow, you understand me?" Meda smiled as she warned Briallen so as to draw less attention from the many people around them.

Briallen kept herself from rolling her eyes but her lips were pursed as she nodded. She removed her winter cloak and hung it over the back of her chair. She'd been abnormally ill-tempered for the last week and she knew everybody noticed but no matter how hard she tried, her memory of Pilot Mountain kept popping up in her memory and renewing her anger. She scowled as she stared blankly out the window and her mother said nothing else.

The bell above the restaurant door jingled again and a familiar voice drew Briallen's attention.

"I'm glad _you_ like this place! My last girlfriend _hated_ it," chuckled Hayden as he walked in with a girl Briallen had never seen before. The girl clung to his arm as if she were afraid he'd try to run off without her.

Briallen examined the girl with disgust. Her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail with her sparse bangs that only high-lighted the hugeness of her forehead and the fact that her eyebrows seemed more pencil than hair. She wore thick blue eyeliner and a gaudy pink and blue sequined winter cloak. All in all Briallen thought the girl looked hideous.

"Merlin, did she hate everything?" asked the girl with a high-pitched giggle.

Briallen just managed to choke back a roar of anger but she inadvertently shook the table as she gripped its edge tightly. Hayden noticed her and paled. The waitress that seated Briallen and Meda approached Hayden and his date and repeated what she'd said to Briallen. Hayden stammered, "Outside, please."

"Aw, Honey-Hayden, look at these pretty decorations! I want to sit inside!" whined the girl on his arm. She had a heavy Appalachian accent and put emphasis on every other word as she spoke.

"Honey-Hayden!" snorted Briallen, louder than she intended.

The girl looked at her and sneered but then it dawned on her that Briallen was Hayden's ex-girlfriend and she glared. "Outside is just fine, Honey-Hayden," said the girl, turning her little nose up at Briallen.

Briallen glared at the new couple as they were led outside by the oblivious waitress. She turned to her mouth once they were out of earshot and spat, "_One week_ since he dumped me and he's already got a new girlfriend! And did you hear what he said about me? I do not hate everything! I just didn't like most of what he liked!"

"One week since he _dumped_ you?" asked Meda, her brows raised and a stern look in her eyes.

"Ah–I–I meant–" stuttered Briallen, realizing she had just confirmed that she'd broken her mother's 'no-dating-until-fifteen' rule.

Their waitress dropped their food at their table. Meda softened her look and thanked the waitress before turning back to Briallen. But she didn't look sternly at Briallen again – in fact, she now wore a look of sympathy. "How long did you two date?"

"Technically… about two months, but really… we didn't really spend that much time together, because I was so busy this semester, you know," mumbled Briallen, turning pink. She hadn't planned on telling her parents about Hayden for another couple of years.

"Why'd he break up with you?"

"He didn't really say. It just sort of happened at the game last week."

"What a jerk!" said Meda, falling back in her chair and shaking her head. "Breaking up with my little girl after taken advantage of her generosity!"

Briallen wiped her eyes and laughed a little. "That's what Toby said, but without the 'little girl' part. He was always complaining about us never going out on real dates or hanging out much and he kept getting angry at me when I'd tell him not to kiss me with his mouth open – because it's _disgusting_ – and then he'd go off and pout like a baby about it…"

After taking a sip of her soup, Meda said, "That's a good girl, turning him down like you did. Don't ever let a boy pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. That's why I wanted you to wait until you were a little older to date, Briallen. Until I felt sure you could take care of yourself."

"Momma, you know how stubborn I am! And I'm not afraid to smack a bit of sense into someone. I'll never be taken advantage of," said Briallen confidently before taking a large bite of her turkey cranberry sandwich.

Meda smiled at her daughter and then reached across the table to take hold Briallen's hand. "Don't go thinking too highly of yourself, now. But I'd like it if from now on you told me about these boys you're dating. I know you and your grandfather already don't tell Will and I all what goes on at Bergamot and after last year… I need you to be honest with me, Briallen. If only to keep from worrying silly about what you're up to."

Rolling her eyes playfully, Briallen groaned. "I will, I promise… but what about dad?"

"We'll find a way to tell your dad about the whole boy thing. It's about time we realized we've got a teenager on our hands now, no matter how hard it is to accept it."

Briallen grinned and squeezed her mother's hand. When Meda and Briallen walked into Cal Bevin's foyer later that afternoon they were both smiling, laughing, and singing jovially, if off-key.

"Silver bells, silver bells! It's Christmas time in the city," sang Meda as she removed her coat and hung it on the rack next to Briallen's. She then wrapped her arms around her daughter and began swaying back and forth while Briallen laughed. "Ring-a-ling, hear them sing, soon it will be Christmas day!"

"Someone's in a good mood," said Will, standing in the parlor doorway. "And you're just in time for dinner."

"I got a BowderBall!" said Briallen excitedly. "You and me can play catch with it tomorrow!"

Will groaned. Briallen had told him all about BowderBalls numerous times and the idea of a ball with a mind of its own made him nervous. But he smiled at his daughter anyway. "Sounds like a plan," he said. "Now let's eat!"

Meda and Briallen followed Will into the dining room where Cal was already waiting at his place at the head of the table. Will and Meda sat on one side next to Cal, while Briallen sat on the other. Meda had already begun to tell Will and Cal about their day when Miss Whibbles, who was Mrs Whibbles sister-in-law, brought out their dinner.

With food in front of her, Briallen suddenly found she was starving. She downed her corn chowder and her chicken and was in the process of trying to fit a large spoonful of mashed potatoes in her mouth when she heard her mother say, "Briallen?"

She put down the spoonful of mashed potatoes and mumbled, "Huh?"

"I was just telling your dad and grandpa how we discovered the reason you've been so grumpy lately," explained Meda as she looked pointedly at Briallen.

Clearing her throat, Briallen nodded. "Um," she began. She looked up at her father who was watching her carefully, and then looked back down at her plate. "Because my boyfriend dumped me."

Meda and Cal looked to Will, gauging his reaction and ready to calm him should he overreact. But Will was surprisingly calm as he asked, "Who was this boyfriend? Your friend Toby? I thought he was a good kid – Midwestern raised, mother's an attorney, normal family–"

"Not Toby," corrected Briallen quickly and with a nervous chuckle. "Hayden – you know, that boy who was writing me all summer…"

Will's eyes narrowed. "_That_ kid? I knew he was a little creep just from the fact he wrote you every damn day. Obsessive too, and possessive to boot I bet… and from a _wizard_ family," he rambled angrily.

"Yeah…" said Briallen, shocked by her father's seemingly careless attitude. She looked to her mother who shook her head and shrugged.

"You shouldn't be dating!" said Will suddenly. "Barely thirteen! And dating _wizard_ boys! I'd prefer that Toby boy, he's from a normal family like you. Or just a normal, non-magical boy."

"Briallen, dear, I see you're already done with your dinner. Why don't you go into the kitchen and have Miss Whibbles get you a slice of hot apple pie a la mode," suggested Cal cheerfully.

With a deep breath, Briallen nodded and went through the swinging door that led to the kitchen. But she didn't go to Miss Whibbles – she stood with her ear pressed against the door to try and hear why her grandfather had sent her out of the room.

"William," said Cal in a hard tone. "You really need to come to terms with the fact your daughter is a witch and is a part of the magical world, and will be so for the rest of her life. She will very likely marry a wizard eventually, whether you like it or not, so if you don't want to drive away your only child I suggest you put aside your unreasonable prejudices about our world immediately and start behaving like a rational adult!"

Briallen yanked her ear away from the door and gasped. She'd never heard her grandfather speak in such a way and it jolted her. But she agreed with everything Cal had said and she realized how hurt she felt whenever her father was snappish about wizarding life – about _her_ life.

"Miss Bevin! Pie?" asked Miss Whibbles, tugging at the back of her sweater.

"Sure," replied Briallen, sniffling. She followed the tiny house-elf to the kitchen island, where the house-elf began preparing a slice of apple pie with ice cream on top for Briallen.

_What's wrong with my dad?_ Briallen thought sadly. She stabbed at her pie with her spoon and sniffled again. _Grandpa's trying to teach him about the wizarding world – buying him all those stupid history books and magazines and trying to talk to him. And mom's just as scared as he is but she's still trying to be a part of my new life and trying to get dad to be a part of it too… no wonder Benjamin never accepted mom's dinner invites last summer! Dad probably said something stupid to him. He really needs, like, a therapist or something. Or to talk with the Muggle Relations people at the Ministry…_

Abruptly she dropped her spoon – the Ministry was exactly where she had to go for the next clue in the scavenger hunt, according to her secret helper. Miss Whibbles spun around, surprised by the noise and asked, "Miss, you alright?"

Briallen ignored the house-elf and ran into the dining room and said breathlessly, "I have an idea! We should visit the Ministry of Magic!"

Her parents stared at her but her grandfather smiled and nodded. "I think that's a wonderful idea, Briallen. What better place to learn more about the wizarding world than our government's headquarters?"

"Where exactly is your government's headquarters?" asked Will, already sounding as if he were looking for a way out.

"Philadelphia. We can travel by Portkey, which is instantaneous… for the most part," said Cal, chuckling. "I'll call the Minister and see if we can even arrange a little – what's the term? Meet and greet?"

"Yeah! You'd like him dad, he's a war hero! And we can go to the Muggle Relations department and – and you can meet some Aurors! They're like police officers," explained Briallen eagerly.

Will grumbled but he nodded and Briallen squealed with delight. "Sometime after Christmas, then."

"I'll go owl the Minister right away," Cal said while he stood up. "He's a very busy man but he's a friend of mine so I'll try to pull a few strings for us, shall I?"

"Can I invite a friend?" Briallen asked quickly, while her grandfather was still in the room.

"That's a great idea! Your dad and I can finally meet one of your friends," chirped Meda happily.

"Can I go over to his house and ask him in person?"

"Pumpkin, it's dark out already…"

"Please! I won't be gone long, I promise," Briallen begged while making her best puppy-dog eyes at her mother. Meda sighed and waved her away.

As she ran out of the room, Briallen heard her father say, "_His_ house?" Will's question was followed by the sound of Meda groaning and Briallen could imagine her mother was likely rolling her eyes as well.

Briallen threw on her winter cloak, hat, and scarf and hopped to the door as she pulled on her boots. From an umbrella holder near the front door, Briallen pulled out her broom. The door hadn't even shut behind her before she was in the air, flying over the trees of the north wood that separated her grandfather's manor from the rest of The Village.

She flew south to Rower's Road. Lucan had told her that he and his little sister were staying with their uncle in a big house in a field just outside The Village, but when Briallen flew over Seedy Alley she saw two houses. She paused to hover over the vineyard below her, which looked strangely untouched by the winter weather.

The house to her left looked much like her own back in Dustum. It was an old country house with a barn, stables, and silo. Even in the dark she could see its faded painted siding, broken shutters, and backyard full of old, rusted Muggle cars and appliances half-buried in snow. It was covered in so many twinkling Christmas decorations that its light spread in a large circumference all around it. The house on her right was cleaner and looked more posh but seemed to be just as old as the country house. It was made of the same yellow stone that Bergamot was built with and was twice as large as the country house.

Briallen flew right and began to circle the house and looking in all the windows. All of the old manor's second floor windows were dark or blocked off with drapes. On one side of the ground floor she saw an old fashioned kitchen, a dusty formal dining room, and a dim parlor stuffed with furniture and papers and strange gadgets. On the other side of the manor's ground floor was a large, darkened library, an office packed full of more junk than the parlor, and an astonishingly bright and tidy living room with a roaring fireplace and a large evergreen tree – which was currently being dressed by a middle-aged man, a little girl, and Lucan.

Eager to speak with Lucan about her new plan, Briallen forgot all her landing training and excitedly aimed for the ground. Her broom handle hit the snow-covered bushes lining the sidewalk in front of the manor's front door. The handle stuck in the bush, flipping her over onto her back where she fell through the side of the bush and onto the icy sidewalk which she then slid down until a large, thick snow bank broke her acceleration.

"That was amazing!" screeched a high pitched voice before breaking into equally high-pitched laughter.

"Shut up, Livia! She might be hurt!" snapped Lucan. He began to run over to the snow bank he saw Briallen land in but ended up slipping on the icy walkway himself and landed on his knees next to Briallen. He cursed and winced before he began to dig Briallen out from the snow. "Ow… we saw you through the window, Briallen. I came out to get you just in time to see you land."

"I think that was one of my worst," mumbled Briallen. She'd started kicking the snow off of her.

Lucan pulled her into a sitting position where he started wiping her head and shoulders free of snow. His hand accidentally brushed her cheek. He pulled away his hand and seemed to grimace. "Are you alright? That looked really painful."

He stood up and as he pulled her up she responded, "It was painful, but I'll live."

"You should be in front of the fire. And my uncle Marc is a Healer," said Lucan as he put an arm around Briallen and helped her into the house. "You're so stupid sometimes, you know that? Why did you land in the bushes?"

She was limping. Her ankle hurt but she ignored the pain and Lucan as he helped her into his uncle Marc's house. It didn't look much like the sort of house she would expect a member of his family to live in. The foyer was completely devoid of any gaudy furniture – in fact, it was practically bare. The living room she'd seen through the window looked much emptier up close as well. Aside from the Christmas tree, there was a fireplace, an upright piano, two couches and a coffee table, and nothing else; there weren't even any pictures on the wallpapered walls.

A tiny little girl sat on one of the couches, smiling at Briallen. Her black hair was in two thick, curly pigtails, and her black eyes were big and round and curiously examining Briallen. She looked like a miniature, and female, Lucan. "Do you go to school with my brother?" she asked politely.

"We don't interrogate our guests, Livia. Just because mom and dad aren't here, we don't forget our manners," muttered Lucan as he dropped Briallen in front of the fireplace.

"Where are your parents?" Briallen asked as she began removing her coat, hat, and scarf.

Lucan didn't answer but Livia did. "They're in Greece. Some friends invited them to spend Christmas on some island."

"Shut _up_, Livia," said Lucan harshly. Livia scowled at him and stuck out her tongue. "Why don't you go to your room?"

"You're not daddy! You can't boss me around!" said Livia matter-of-factly. "And we're not even done decorating the tree. I want to put the star on!"

"Domi!" shouted Lucan. An old house-elf with hairy ears in an over-sized red sweater appeared next Lucan. "Take Livia into the kitchen, please, and make her some ginger molasses cookies."

"I don't want cookies!" argued Livia. "I want to stay here and talk to your friend! I never get to meet any of your friends!"

"Because I don't have any friends!" snapped Lucan. He calmed down and cleared his throat. Domi the house-elf took little Livia, who seemed quite disgruntled, by the hand and led her out the living room.

Briallen had removed her boots and now sat on the floor with her injured ankle cross over her leg. "That's not true," she said once Livia had gone. Lucan turned to her, flustered, and leaned over to get a look at her ankle. Briallen bent her head down by her ankle so that she could look Lucan in the eyes. "I'm your friend."

Lucan stared at her and Briallen stared back. He had a look on his face that Briallen had never seen before and she wasn't sure what it meant. His brow was furrowed and he was biting his bottom lip as if he were in the middle of making a difficult decision.

Suddenly a man rushed into the room and said, "I found my wand! I'd left it in my work cloak."

"She hurt her ankle," said Lucan quietly, leaning back from Briallen now.

Uncle Marc tended to her ankle and then helped her onto the couch and said, "I'll owl your grandfather and let him know you'll be here for about an hour while your ankle heals. I'll have Domi bring you something to drink to help with the pain and warm you up."

"I'm fine, really," said Briallen as kindly as possible. "Thanks for your help."

"It's my job. I'll get your broom from the bush for you." Lucan's uncle Marc left Lucan and Briallen alone in the living room.

"So…" began Lucan, raising a brow. "Why'd you fly here in the first place?"

"My grandpa is taking me and my parents to the Ministry sometime after Christmas. My mom said I could bring a friend," whispered Briallen with a mischievous grin.

"Why didn't you invite your boyfriend? Isn't that the sort of thing he'd be into?" asked Lucan, sounding almost bitter to Briallen.

"Not really. Hayden's into journalism, divination, and – more recently – other girls." Lucan's eyes snapped to Briallen, who shrugged. "He dumped me last week. He's already got a new girlfriend too. I saw them at The Yellow Room today."

Again, Lucan had a strange look on his face, though Briallen recognized this look: e was tense and perhaps a little confused. He muttered, "I've never liked him. I told you he was a loser."

"I know," groaned Briallen, annoyed. She looked at the hallway, checking to make sure there was no one there listening in on them. "Look, you remember that letter I got – the one that said we should check out the Library of Firsts, at the Ministry of Magic…"

Realization dawned over Lucan and his eyes widened in a rare show of excitement. "And now we can go! But won't your grandfather be suspicious if we ask to see the Library of Firsts?"

"We're not telling him," warned Briallen. "We'll make some excuse to go visit another department on our own… oh! Marisol's dad is an Obliviator – we can just say we want to go say hi to him and go to the library instead!"

"I thought you said Marisol and her family went to Puerto Rico for Christmas?"

"My grandpa doesn't know that," said Briallen confidently.

Lucan nodded and the corner of his mouth turned up in a half-grin. "Sounds like a plan, then. I'm sure my uncle will be alright with it."

Just then Domi appeared with a tray. On the tray were two crystal glasses filled with warm, frothy eggnog. Lucan and Briallen took their drinks from the tray and Domi disappeared with a pop.

Briallen held the glass with both hands and brought it under her nose where she sniffed it and smiled happily. She took a sip then, made a face, and choked, "Whoa, what's in this eggnog?"

"Yours might have some brandy in it… for the pain, you know. And to warm you up," snickered Lucan.

Briallen gasped in fake abhorrence and then broke out laughing. She raised her glass to Lucan, who in turn raised his own glass. "Well, a very Merry Christmas indeed! As my grandpa would say."

"Indeed," added Lucan with anoted crooked smile.

They clinked their glasses together and laughed again.


End file.
